Improving Science Content Knowledge of Undergraduate Elementary Education Majors through Phenomenon-based Science Courses

本计画旨在为未来小学本科教师开发并测试基于现象的科学内容课程的有效性，以服务国家利益。作为“一级参与式学生学习”项目的一部分，将使用“雄心科学教学框架”开发两门基于现象的科学课程，特别侧重于科学内容领域，即生命与地球/空间以及物理科学与工程，这是未来小学教师在未来课堂上教授科学时需要理解的。该框架以目前在K-12课程中使用的循证教学法为中心。本课题旨在检验所开发课程在提高准小学教师科学内容知识方面的有效性。此外，它将确定雄心勃勃的科学教学框架在本科背景下的适用性，特别是在非STEM专业的本科学生的科学课程中，特别是对于基础教育专业的学生。许多小学教育专业的学生毕业于他们的教师预备课程，但他们的科学知识并不完整，学习科学的经验也很有限，而这些教学方法对小学生来说是有效的。本项目旨在促进STEM教育领域对未来小学教师如何发展深度科学内容知识的理解。这项工作的目的是扩展研究，研究了未来小学教师的科学内容课程与他们的信心、态度和自我效能感信念之间的关系。这个项目包含了小学教师的迫切需要，不仅要培养对科学内容的有用理解，而且要利用有效的科学教学方法。该项目将扩展一种科学教学模式，即雄心勃勃的科学教学模式，该模式已被证明在K-12环境中有效，并将其推广到本科科学教师的培养中。项目目标是：1)针对基础教育专业本科学生开设两门现象科学课程（一门以生命与地球/空间科学为重点，另一门以物理科学与工程为重点）；2)考察现象科学课程对准小学教师科学内容知识的影响；3)确定雄心科学教学模式在本科情境下的适用性。研究小组将采用准实验方法的混合方法，调查课程对准小学教师科学内容知识的影响，以及雄心科学教学框架如何支持准小学教师发展对科学内容的理解。作为一个社区，小学科学教师教育者认识到他们的教师候选人的科学内容知识准备的持久挑战。本研究对初等教育专业本科学生的科学教学及未来小学生的科学教学有显著的影响。NSF IUSE: EHR计划支持研究和开发项目，以提高所有学生STEM教育的有效性。通过参与学生学习轨道，该计划支持有前途的实践和工具的创建，探索和实施。Robert Noyce教师奖学金（Noyce）计划为IUSE: EHR项目提供联合资金，以支持该项目的职前教师准备目标，该目标与Noyce计划目标非常一致。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project aims to serve the national interest by developing and testing the effectiveness of phenomenon-based science content courses for prospective undergraduate elementary teachers. As part of this Level I - Engaged Student Learning project, two phenomenon-based science courses, specifically focused on the science content areas, life and earth/space and physical science and engineering, that prospective elementary teachers need to understand to teach science in their future classrooms, will be developed using the Ambitious Science Teaching framework. This framework centers around an evidence-based pedagogy that is currently used in K-12 settings. This project intends to test the effectiveness of the developed courses in terms of improving prospective elementary teachers’ science content knowledge. Additionally, it will determine the applicability of the Ambitious Science Teaching framework to the undergraduate context especially in science courses for undergraduate students who are not STEM majors and for elementary education majors in particular. Many elementary education majors graduate from their teacher preparation programs with incomplete science content knowledge and limited experience learning science in ways that model the types of pedagogical approaches shown to be effective for elementary students. This project intends to contribute to the STEM education field’s understanding of how prospective elementary teachers develop deep science content knowledge. This work aims to extend research that has examined the relationship between science content courses for prospective elementary teachers and their confidence, attitudes, and self-efficacy beliefs. This project embraces the critical need for elementary teachers to not only develop useful understandings of science content, but to also to utilize effective science teaching instructional approaches. This project will extend a model of science instruction, Ambitious Science Teaching, shown to be effective in K-12 settings into undergraduate science teacher preparation. Project goals are to: 1) Develop two phenomenon-based science courses (one focused on Life and Earth/Space Science and the second focused on Physical Sciences and Engineering) targeting undergraduate elementary education majors; 2) Examine the impact of the phenomenon-based science courses on prospective elementary teachers’ science content knowledge; and 3) Determine the applicability of the Ambitious Science Teaching instructional model to the undergraduate context. Using a mixed methods with a quasi-experimental approach, the research team will investigate the impact of the courses on prospective elementary teachers’ science content knowledge and how the Ambitious Science Teaching framework supports prospective elementary teachers in developing understandings of science content. As a community, elementary science teacher educators recognize the enduring challenge of science content knowledge preparedness for their teacher candidates. This project has the potential to significantly impact science instruction for undergraduate elementary education majors and thus their future elementary school students. The NSF IUSE: EHR Program supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of STEM education for all students. Through the Engaged Student Learning track, the program supports the creation, exploration, and implementation of promising practices and tools. The Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship (Noyce) Program is providing co-funding for this IUSE: EHR project to support the project's preservice teacher preparation goals, which are well-aligned with Noyce Program goals.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.