Impacts of a Practice-Based Professional Development Program on Elementary Teachers’ Facilitation of and Student Engagement With Scientific Argumentation

Abstract

This article reports an investigation of a professional development program to enhance elementary teachers’ ability to engage their students in argument from evidence in science. Using a quasi-experimental approach, three versions were compared: Version A—a 1-week summer institute with a 2-week summer practicum experience and 8 follow-up days (four per year), Version B without the practicum experience, and Version C—a revision of Version A in Year 3. All teachers were videoed twice each year, and the videos were rated using an instrument to measure the quality of discourse. All versions led to a significant improvement in teachers’ facilitation of classroom discourse. Neither the practicum nor the revised program had an additional effect. Implications for the field are discussed.

Disciplinary Literacy and the 4Es: Rigorous and Substantive Responses to Interdisciplinary Standards

“…The NGSS in particular require integrative science inquiry practices that several researchers have found elementary teachers were not prepared with during their preservice training (McNeill et al, 2016; J. F. Osbourne et al, 2019).…”

“…She moved on to conducting medical science research with university researchers, compiling cross-sections of a mouse brain affected by methamphetamines (Year 2) and studying factors that influenced plant growth (Year 3). Danielle had 14 years of experience, and her multi-faceted role certainly influenced her enactment of inquiry, NGSS, and CCSS-ELA.The NGSS in particular require integrative science inquiry practices that several researchers have found elementary teachers were not prepared with during their pre-service training(McNeill et al, 2016;Osbourne et al, 2019). These researchers have called for ongoing professional development to support elementary teachers with integrating science inquiry practices into classroom instruction.…”

Deliberative Teaching as an Emergent Field: The Challenge of Articulating Diverse Research Agendas to Promote Educational Experiences for Citizenship

“…This of course imposes tensions on teachers, who may perceive it as difficult to orchestrate and consolidate discussions in which different points of view, including unacceptable ones, are expressed and promoted. Although there have been several initiatives to promote and study professional development for scientific argumentation in classrooms ( Osborne et al, 2019 ), more studies are needed.…”

Dialogische Gesprächsführung im Unterricht

“…Skala Einstellungen zum diskursiven Lernen und Lehren SK_L_einst_diskLL Quelle: Eigenentwicklung in Anlehnung an Osborne et al, 2019 Ausprägung: 4 stimme zu 3 2 1 0 stimme nicht zu Anweisung: Die folgenden Items dienen dazu Ihre Lehrerfahrungen und Überzeugungen in Ihrem Fach, mit dem Sie an der Dialogue Fortbildung teilnehmen, zu erfassen. Bitte beurteilen Sie, inwiefern Sie den folgenden Aussagen zustimmen.…”

“…Die Implementation von dialogischen Ansätzen in die Gestaltung von Unterricht rückt immer stärker in den Fokus von Lehrerausbildung sowie Fort-und Weiterbildung. Ein Grund sind die zunehmenden Forschungsergebnisse, die die Lern wirksamkeit dialogisch orientierter Lehrer/innen-Schüler/innen-Inter aktionen wiederholt nachgewiesen haben Mercer & Littleton, 2007;Osborne, Borko, Fishman, Gomez Zaccarelli, Berson, Busch, Reigh, & Tseng, 2019). Vor allem die Unter richts kom mu ni ka tionsforschung fokussiert die Identifi kation von Elementen des lernwirksamen Unterrichtsgesprächs und beleuchtet, wie diese von Lehrpersonen in ihre Unterrichtspraxis implementiert werden können (Howe & Abedin, 2013;Lipowsky et al, 2009;Mercer & Dawes, 2014;Mortimer & Scott, 2010;Seidel, 2014;.…”