ABSTRACT

Socioscientific issues (SSI) have been found to improve scientific literacy skills among K—12 students. Elementary preservice teachers (PSTs), however, are reluctant to implement SSI due to a lack of confidence with content knowledge concerning SSI and pedagogical abilities. Existing research focuses on helping PSTs overcome these concerns through microteaching, adapting existing curricula, and experiencing SSI through methods courses. While it has been noted that formal preparation is required for PSTs to feel confident in their abilities to facilitate SSI, little has been done to prepare elementary PSTs to facilitate SSI during field experiences. PST’s concerns regarding science instruction with SSI are speculative since existing empirical evidence has been collected outside the context of the classroom. In this qualitative multicase study, we explored the challenges identified by three elementary PSTs as they facilitated SSI in the classroom. Community of practice (CoP) meetings provided formal training to prepare these participants’ PSTs to facilitate SSI. Recordings of the CoP meetings, lesson plans, observations, and interviews served as data sources. Analysis revealed the following challenges as themes: student concerns, time constraints, and obstacles implementing the SSI framework. We present findings associated with each of these themes and identify implications for preparing elementary PSTs for SSI instruction.

摘要

已经发现社会科学问题（SSI）可以提高K-12学生的科学素养技能。但是，由于缺乏关于SSI和教学能力的内容知识的信心，初级职前教师（PST）不愿实施SSI。现有研究集中在通过微教学，适应现有课程并通过方法课程体验SSI来帮助PST解决这些问题。尽管已经注意到，对于PST来说，需要正式的准备，以使他们对促进SSI的能力充满信心，但是在现场体验中，几乎没有准备基本的PST来促进SSI。PST对使用SSI进行科学教学的关注是推测性的，因为现有的经验证据已经在课堂环境之外收集了。在这项定性的多案例研究中，我们探讨了三个基本的PST在促进课堂上的SSI时所面临的挑战。实践社区（CoP）会议提供了正式培训，以准备这些参与者的PST，以促进SSI。CoP会议，课程计划，观察和访谈的记录用作数据源。分析显示以下挑战为主题：学生的关注点，时间限制和实施SSI框架的障碍。我们介绍与每个主题相关的发现，并确定为SSI指导准备基本PST的含义。观察和访谈作为数据源。分析显示以下挑战为主题：学生的关注点，时间限制和实施SSI框架的障碍。我们介绍与每个主题相关的发现，并确定为SSI指导准备基本PST的含义。观察和访谈作为数据源。分析显示以下挑战为主题：学生的关注点，时间限制和实施SSI框架的障碍。我们介绍与每个主题相关的发现，并确定为SSI指导准备基本PST的含义。