Out-of-Field Science Teaching Conference: A Focus on Scope, Experience, and Response

这个为期两天的会议解决了K-12教育中的一个棘手问题，即野外科学教学，或者科学教师经常发现自己负责教学内容或在其专业领域之外的环境中的现实。例如，具有小学高年级学生专业知识的教师可能会发现自己负责教一年级或幼儿园。或者，在一个科学领域具有专业知识的教师可能会发现自己负责不同领域的教学内容（例如，一个有生物学证书的老师可能会发现她自己负责教化学）。认证政策，下一代科学标准，以及跨学科STEM课程和学校的创建可能会导致更多的教师被分配到校外科学教学责任。三十名参与者-包括教育研究人员，科学教师教育工作者，政策制定者和小学和中学科学教师-将探讨三个问题：（1）什么是场外科学教学在小学和中学科学设置的规模和变化？(2)K-12科学教师如何到达和谈判场外科学教学任务？(3)野外科学教学对那些参与科学教师准备和专业发展的人有什么影响？会议的独特之处在于它侧重于科学教师，解决教育政策要求;并着眼于跨小学，初中和高中年级的科学OOF教学的频谱。会议的一个潜在成果是制定一个关于校外科学教学的研究议程。最终，导致会议，会议和会后的活动将允许场外科学教学和科学教师的经验的范围的理解。这个奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并已被认为是值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估的支持。

This two-day conference addresses a thorny issue in K-12 education, out-of-field science teaching, or the reality that science teachers regularly find themselves responsible for teaching content or in contexts that are outside their area of expertise. For example, teachers who have expertise working with students in the upper elementary grades might find themselves responsible for teaching first grade or kindergarten. Or, teachers with expertise in one area of science might find themselves responsible for teaching content in a different area (e.g., a teacher who is certified in biology might find herself responsible for teaching chemistry). Certification policies, the Next Generation Science Standards, and the creation of interdisciplinary STEM classes and schools will potentially result in more teachers being assigned out-of-field science teaching responsibilities. Thirty participants--including educational researchers, science teacher educators, policy makers and elementary and secondary science teachers--will explore three questions: (1) What is the magnitude and variation of out-of-field science teaching in elementary and secondary science settings? (2) How do K-12 science teachers arrive at and negotiate out-of-field science teaching assignments? (3) What are the implications of out-of-field science teaching for those involved in science teacher preparation and professional development? The conference is unique in that it focuses on science teachers, addresses educational policy requirements; and looks at the spectrum of OOF teaching in science across the elementary, middle level, and high school grades. One potential outcome of the meeting is the establishment of a research agenda regarding out-of-field science teaching. Ultimately, the activities leading up to the conference, the conference, and the post-conference will allow for an understanding of the scope of out-of-field science teaching and science teachers' experiences.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.