Computational thinking (CT) is a prominent concept in STEM research related to programming in schools. We investigate the relationship between CT and scientific practices as they are proposed by Weintrop et al. (2016), through the development of a learning sequence for pre-service teachers (PSTs) on the use of programming in science education. The PSTs are presented to simulations of natural-science phenomena coded in Scratch, and are asked to use, modify, and create their own simulations (Lee et al, 2011). We use video and sound recordings of the PSTs creating their own simulations to analyse what scientific CT practices are evident in the data. The results indicate that much of the PSTs work were related to the technicalities of getting the code for the simulations working in Scratch, and not so much on exploring the natural-science content of the model being simulated. We suggest changes to the learning sequence to increase the PSTs focus on the scientific aspects of modelling and simulation by being more explicit about using the computational models for understanding a concept and finding and testing solutions.
The present research project has as its core to investigate into and develop a model for Second Order Teaching (SOT) and its relation to bildung and competencies in Danish science teacher education. We first designed a general model for establishing a framework for a specified field and used this model on the international and Danish understandings of SOT. A map over concepts related to SOT was developed and a definition was proposed, as basis for the development of a model for SOT. This model introduces SOT of first, second and third order, which gives possibilities for adapting the proposed understanding of bildung and competencies to these phases in SOT.
This study investigated elementary preservice teachers’ (PTs’) approximation of reform-based teaching practice, ambitious science teaching. PTs are supported through practice-based teacher education pedagogies to help them develop teaching practices focusing on attending to student thinking. Through case study research, this study investigated 45 elementary PTs’ reflections on their approximations of ambitious science teaching. The context of the study included the second science teaching methods course in the elementary education program at a public university in Turkey. Data sources include lesson plans PTs developed, their videos of microteaching around eliciting students' ideas, and individual reflections PTs wrote about their teaching experience. For data analysis, I read the reflections carefully and did open coding to written statements. Based on the patterns, I categorized their responses and developed themes. Elementary PTs’ reflections revealed that PTs differentiated ambitious science teaching from the traditional methods of delivering science concepts, and saw ambitious science teaching as a student-centered pedagogy. In addition to the affordances of ambitious science teaching, PTs reported on the difficulties they encountered in planning and implementing the practice in largely populated classrooms. The difficulties they experienced in the planning were grouped into three categories: finding a phenomenon for their microteaching lesson, creating their gapless explanations for the selected phenomenon, and forming the right questions to ask their peers to elicit their initial ideas.
Constructing explanations for the science classroom is a complex teaching practice, especially for pre-service teachers. We explored self-evaluation as a tool for noticing elements of dialogical teaching as a first phase of a longitudinal study for promoting self-regulation in teacher education. Sixty-three first-year pre-service teachers participated in a videoed classroom simulation and self-evaluation of their explanations, considering weaknesses and strengths. We inquired which learning theory elements, behavioralist, cognitivism, or constructivism best expressed the explanation constructed. The more potent aspects identified were using examples, images and graphs. The weakest were highlighting common misconceptions, contextualizing the teaching, and showing explicitly the relevance of learning the topic to promote understanding. Most participants connected their explanation to cognitive and constructivist learning theories as they attempted to link the concepts with students' prior learning and experiences. This article discusses self-assessment as a tool for promoting formative assessment and "noticing" for insights into teacher education, empowering student teachers as active agents in developing their professionalism from the beginning of their preparation.