Novice and expert teachers' conceptions of learners' prior knowledge

Abstract

-385) in relationship to prior knowledge underpins the study. Six teachers were selected to participate in the case studies based upon their level experience teaching science and their willingness to take part. The comparative case studies of the novice and expert teachers provide insights into (a) how novice and expert teachers understand the concept of prior knowledge and (b) how they use this knowledge to make instructional decisions. Data collection consisted of interviews, classroom observations, and document analysis. Findings suggest that novice teachers hold insufficient conceptions of prior knowledge and its role in instruction to effectively implement constructivist teaching practices. While expert teachers hold a complex conception of prior knowledge and make use of their students' prior knowledge in significant ways during instruction. A second finding was an apparent mismatch between the novice teachers' beliefs about their urban students' life experiences and prior knowledge and the wealth of knowledge the expert teachers found to draw upon.

Practice‐Based Measures of Elementary Science Teachers' Content Knowledge for Teaching: Initial Item Development and Validity Evidence

“…Novice science teachers tend to be unaware of students' ideas; when they do start to notice students' ideas, they tend to focus on more basic features like the concreteness or accuracy of these ideas (Schneider & Plasman, 2011). As science teachers gain experience, they are more likely to begin to consider how to build on students' prior ideas during instruction, how to link students' ideas to scientific ideas, and why students might find certain ideas conceptually difficult to learn-all significant content challenges that arise in the course of teaching in this area (Meyer, 2004;Schneider & Plasman, 2011).To develop students' ideas about key scientific concepts, research has also pointed to the importance of determining which instructional strategies and resources would be most beneficial for addressing specific student outcomes; this selection usually occurs through the critical analysis and use of curriculum materials (Davis, 2006;Davis & Smithey, 2009). In particular, research has suggested the importance of ensuring that science teachers can fluently discern which instructional resources to use to target specific learning goals, to provide insight into student thinking, and to address specific student challenges (Carlsen, 1991;Schneider & Plasman, 2011).…”

School Site to Museum Floor: How informal science institutions work with schools

“…Overall, these programmes tend to serve experienced and veteran teachers who are prepared for the area in which they are teaching and they primarily focus on the upper elementary grades. These findings suggest that these programmes may not be targeting the teachers who often need the most support in teaching science -those with little scientific experience or preparation for the science classroom (Meyer, 2004;Windschitl, 2004). However, since the survey did not distinguish between ISIs targeting particular teachers and teachers selecting these programmes themselves, another view is possible.…”

“…Research has shown that reflection and discussion of conceptions of science teaching and learning are effective at developing teacher knowledge and improving practice for novice and experienced teachers (Bell, 1998;Darling-Hammond, 1998;Thompson & Zeuli, 1999). However, there are distinct differences between the knowledge structures of novices and experts (Barnett & Hodson, 2001;Meyer, 2004;van Driel, Verloop, & de Vos, 1998). In general, experts tend to have more accessible and well-structured knowledge and thus, may be able to reflect on their understanding at a deeper level within a professional development programme than novice teachers.…”

Cómo aprenden los profesores a partir de vídeos de alumnos.

“…Estos resultados permiten acercar a la vez concepciones lanzadas por Martín del Pozo y otros (2001) sobre el conocimiento didáctico del contenido de los futuros profesores y los trabajos de Angell y otros (2005) y Meyer (2004). Estos investigadores, que han estudiado las diferencias entre docentes noveles y docentes expertos enfrentados a las concepciones de los alumnos en diferentes campos de la física, han mostrado que los noveles tienen un conocimiento limitado en el aspecto teórico de las concepciones de los alumnos y de su rol en el aprendizaje, mientras que los expertos han construido una concepción compleja de los conocimientos de los alumnos, conocimientos que tienen en cuenta en su enseñanza.…”