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

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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.