Being your own role model for improving self‐efficacy: An elementary teacher self‐actualizes through drama‐based science teaching

Abstract

Many teachers in elementary schools lack school science self-efficacy, largely because of their inexperience with the subject. This frequently leads them to avoid teaching science or to teach it in ways that compromise the development of aspects of students' scientific literacy. This paper describes how one teacher was able to improve her school science self-efficacy through facilitated action research. In response to becoming aware of a discrepancy between her school science practices and her fundamental educational beliefs, Lisa developed a drama-based, integrated science unit that she judged successful in helping students to achieve relevant learning goals. This experience led Lisa and her students to feel much more positive about teaching and learning in school science. Rather than learning from another, however, "Lisa, the science teacher" learnedto a great extent-from "Lisa, the drama-based educator." This finding has implications for science-phobic teachers and for facilitators of their action research.Résumé : De nombreux enseignants du primaire sont peu efficaces dans leur enseignement des sciences à l'école, en grande partie en raison de leur manque d'expérience dans cette matière. Cela les conduit fréquemment à éviter d'enseigner les sciences ou encore à enseigner les sciences de façon à compromettre le développement de certains aspects de l'alphabétisation scientifique des étudiants. Cet article décrit le cheminement d'une enseignante qui a réussi à améliorer l'efficacité de son enseignement des sciences grâce à une recherche action facilitée. Après avoir pris conscience de l'écart qui existait entre sa pratique des sciences à l'école et ses convictions profondes en matière d'éducation, cette enseignante (Lisa) a mis au point un module scientifique intégré fondé sur les jeux de rôle, méthode qu'elle jugeait en mesure d'aider les élèves à atteindre les objectifs d'apprentissage pertinents. Cette expérience a permis à l'enseignante et à ses élèves d'éprouver des sentiments beaucoup plus positifs á l'égard de l'enseignement et de l'apprentissage des sciences à l'école. Plutôt que de chercher des réponses auprès d'autres enseignants, cependant, «Lisa, l'enseignante de sciences» a appris principalement de «Lisa, l'éducatrice créative». Un tel résultat peut avoir des répercussions sur les enseignants chez qui on constate une sorte de « phobie des sciences» et sur toutes les personnes susceptibles de faciliter leurs éventuels projets de recherche action.

Promoting student-led science and technology projects in elementary teacher education: entry into core pedagogical practices through technological design

“…While none of her classmates indicated (in the survey) that this had happened to them, such a realization may be an important contribution towards encouraging pre-service elementary teachers to feel compelled to promote studentdirected, open-ended scientific inquiry and/or technological design. This was, indeed, a finding of some previous related work (Bencze and Upton 2006).…”

A Study on the Perceptions and Attitudes of Prospective Primary School Teachers on Creative Drama

“…Bu çalışmalara paralel olarak, Üstündağ (1997) tarafından yapılan çalışmada da, drama ile ders işlenen deney grubu öğrencilerinin dersi zevkli ve farklı buldukları tespit edilmiştir. Ayrıca, drama temelli hazırlanan öğretimin, öğretmenlerin öğretime yönelik öz-yeterliklerini artırmada etkili olduğu sonucuna ulaşan çalışmaların da olduğu görülmüştür (Cawthon ve Dawson, 2009;Bencze ve Upton, 2006). Kaaland-Wells (1993), yaratıcı drama yöntemini kullanmaya yönelik eğitim alan sınıf öğretmenlerinin, yaratıcı dramanın etkili bir yöntem olduğunu düşündüklerini belirtmiş ve öğretmenlerin yaratıcı drama yöntemini kullanmalarında kişisel drama geçmişlerinin önemini vurgulamıştır.…”

Argümantasyon Tabanli Sorgulayici Araştirma Yöntemi̇ni̇n Öğretmen Adaylarinin Fen Öğreti̇mi̇ Öz Yeterli̇k İnancina Etki̇si̇

“…In this respect, many researches have been interested in developing self-efficacy of pre-service teachers. A great number of methods and strategies such as student teaching experiences (Palmer, 2006), inquiry approach (Jarrett, 1999;Ketelhut, 2007), hands-on, minds-on teaching experiences (Vural & Hamurcu, 2008;Weinburg, 2007) and drama-based action research (Bencze &Upton, 2006) have been described to increase self-efficacy of pre-service teachers. The common point of all these studies is those increase active participation and experiences of teachers, develop self-efficacy beliefs of teachers.…”