Building the Continuum:Building the Continuum:Beginning Teacher Beginning Teacher

ResearchResearch

Julie LuftJulie Luft

Arizona State UniversityArizona State University

Secondary Science TeachersSecondary Science Teachers

Pre-service Teachers In-service TeachersInduction Teachers

Continuum of Teacher LearningContinuum of Teacher Learning

PreservicePreservice InductionInduction CPDCPD

1. Examine beliefs 1. Examine beliefs critically in relation to critically in relation to vision of good teachingvision of good teaching

2. Develop subject matter 2. Develop subject matter knowledgeknowledge

3. Develop an 3. Develop an understanding of understanding of learners, learning, and learners, learning, and issues of diversityissues of diversity

4. Develop a beginning 4. Develop a beginning repertoirerepertoire

5. Develop the tools and 5. Develop the tools and dispositions to study dispositions to study teachingteaching

1. Learn the context --1. Learn the context --students, students, curriculum, school curriculum, school communitycommunity

2. Design a responsive 2. Design a responsive instructional instructional programprogram

3. Create a classroom 3. Create a classroom learning communitylearning community

4. Enact a beginning 4. Enact a beginning repertoirerepertoire

5. Develop a 5. Develop a professional professional identityidentity

1. Extend and deepen 1. Extend and deepen subject matter knowledge subject matter knowledge for teachingfor teaching

2. Extend and refine 2. Extend and refine repertoire in curriculum, repertoire in curriculum, instruction, and instruction, and assessmentassessment

3. Strengthen skills and 3. Strengthen skills and dispositions to study and dispositions to study and improve teachingimprove teaching

4. Expand responsibilities 4. Expand responsibilities and develop leadership and develop leadership skillsskills

International ResearchInternational Research

Induction varies greatly Induction varies greatly Mentoring is well-researchedMentoring is well-researched Discussions about programsDiscussions about programs Discussions about changes in policy and Discussions about changes in policy and

the impact on beginning teachersthe impact on beginning teachers Induction for science teachers is becoming Induction for science teachers is becoming

importantimportant

Making a better wheelMaking a better wheel

Research that is WorthwhileResearch that is Worthwhile

Longitudinal studiesLongitudinal studies Studies from the perspective of those in Studies from the perspective of those in

staff developmentstaff development Studies on context and settingsStudies on context and settings Studies relative to the cognitive side of Studies relative to the cognitive side of

teachersteachers

Qualities of the researchQualities of the research

Phase 1 Research – Studies on programsPhase 1 Research – Studies on programs• program and participants/proof of conceptprogram and participants/proof of concept

Phase 2 Research – Studies on programs Phase 2 Research – Studies on programs in multiple sitesin multiple sites

• programs, participants, facilitators/well-described programs, participants, facilitators/well-described programprogram

Phase 3 Research – Studies on different Phase 3 Research – Studies on different programs at different programs at different

• comparative field sites/effects and resourcescomparative field sites/effects and resources

DistractionsDistractions

Research DistractionsResearch Distractions

Reactionary ResearchReactionary Research ““we need to keep our teachers, what can we do?”we need to keep our teachers, what can we do?”

Personalization of DataPersonalization of Data Findings are based on what we think should Findings are based on what we think should

happenhappen Opportunistic ResearchOpportunistic Research

Studies that are not in a line of researchStudies that are not in a line of research Research that doesn’t attend to science Research that doesn’t attend to science

teachersteachers

Example - Longitudinal StudiesExample - Longitudinal Studies

QuestionsQuestions How do different induction programs impact How do different induction programs impact

the beliefs, practices, and knowledge (NOS, the beliefs, practices, and knowledge (NOS, PCK, content knowledge) of beginning PCK, content knowledge) of beginning secondary science teachers?secondary science teachers?

Data Collection & AnalysisData Collection & Analysis

Pre- Pre- InterviewsInterviews

School YearSchool Year

ObservationObservationss

School YearSchool Year

Records of Records of PracticePractice

School YearSchool Year

Open-ended Open-ended InterviewsInterviews

Post-Post-InterviewInterview

ss

Beliefs, Beliefs, Content, Content, PK, PCK, PK, PCK,

NOSNOS

6 random 6 random visitsvisits

8 random 8 random weeksweeks

8 random 8 random weeksweeks

Through-Through-out out

- Descriptive, ANOVA, thematic

Findings - Induction ProgramsFindings - Induction Programs

Impact of different induction programs on Impact of different induction programs on beliefs, PK, PCK, NOS, and practices beliefs, PK, PCK, NOS, and practices negligible negligible (not significant at the p<0.05 level)(not significant at the p<0.05 level)

Classroom instructional practices remain Classroom instructional practices remain teacher-centered teacher-centered • Most common: Lecture, seatwork, bellwork, test reviewMost common: Lecture, seatwork, bellwork, test review

• Most uncommon: Student-centered laboratoriesMost uncommon: Student-centered laboratories

Findings: Induction ProgramsFindings: Induction Programs

Mentoring Mentoring relationships importantrelationships important 60% met with mentors 60% met with mentors

weekly or monthlyweekly or monthly Informal mentoring Informal mentoring

crucialcrucial 77% met with informal 77% met with informal

mentor daily, weekly, or mentor daily, weekly, or monthlymonthly

Proximity was key- Proximity was key- “Teacher next door” was “Teacher next door” was important contactimportant contact

Impressions of Impressions of mentor helpfulness by mentor helpfulness by beginning teachersbeginning teachers

45%35%

20%

DiscussionDiscussion

Unexpected outcomesUnexpected outcomes Lack of difference based on program typeLack of difference based on program type ““Teacher next door” supportTeacher next door” support Traditional practices still prevailTraditional practices still prevail

Expected outcomesExpected outcomes Location, low SES & ELL populations and Location, low SES & ELL populations and

instructional strategyinstructional strategy Testing climate existsTesting climate exists

Building the ContinuumBuilding the Continuum

Difficult to studyDifficult to study Essential research in building the Essential research in building the

continuumcontinuum

Contextual StudiesContextual Studies

How do beginning science teachers How do beginning science teachers implement lessons on the nature of implement lessons on the nature of science and address equity in their science and address equity in their classrooms?classrooms?

Three teachers- Marie, Leslie and JoshThree teachers- Marie, Leslie and Josh

FindingsFindings

Their coursework prepared them to teach Their coursework prepared them to teach the nature of sciencethe nature of science

State standards impacted their use of State standards impacted their use of nature of science lessonsnature of science lessons

Colleagues were important in influencing Colleagues were important in influencing how they taughthow they taught

FindingsFindings

M.Ed. Students were more likely to enact M.Ed. Students were more likely to enact inquiry instruction (perhaps the second inquiry instruction (perhaps the second methods course, student teaching or methods course, student teaching or HPS?)HPS?)

K-8 teachers did not really understand K-8 teachers did not really understand science and tended to directly utilize the science and tended to directly utilize the lessons from the induction programlessons from the induction program

Teachers benefited differently from the Teachers benefited differently from the different induction programsdifferent induction programs