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

该项目旨在通过为未来的本科小学教师开发和测试基于现象的科学内容课程的有效性来服务于国家利益。作为这一一级参与的学生学习项目的一部分，将利用雄心勃勃的科学教学框架开发两门以现象为基础的科学课程，具体侧重于科学内容领域，即生活和地球/空间以及物理科学和工程，未来的小学教师需要了解这些领域才能在他们未来的课堂上教授科学。这一框架围绕着一种目前在K-12环境中使用的循证教学法。本项目旨在测试开发的课程在提高未来小学教师的科学内容知识方面的有效性。此外，它还将确定雄心勃勃的科学教学框架是否适用于本科生，特别是非STEM专业本科生的科学课程，特别是基础教育专业的本科生。许多初等教育专业的教师毕业于他们的教师培训计划，他们的科学内容知识不完整，学习科学的经验有限，其方式模仿了被证明对小学生有效的教学方法类型。本项目旨在帮助STEM教育界了解未来的小学教师如何发展深厚的科学内容知识。本研究旨在探讨未来小学教师的科学课程与其自信、态度及自我效能感之间的关系。这个项目包含了小学教师的迫切需要，不仅要发展对科学内容的有用理解，而且还要利用有效的科学教学教学方法。这个项目将把一种科学教学模式--雄心勃勃的科学教学--扩展到本科科学教师培养中，这种教学模式在K-12设置中被证明是有效的。项目目标是：1)开发两门以现象为基础的科学课程(一门侧重于生命和地球/空间科学，另一门侧重于物理科学和工程学)，面向本科生基础教育专业；2)审查基于现象的科学课程对未来小学教师科学内容知识的影响；以及3)确定雄心勃勃的科学教学模式是否适用于本科生。研究小组将采用混合方法和准实验方法，调查课程对未来小学教师科学内容知识的影响，以及雄心勃勃的科学教学框架如何支持未来小学教师发展对科学内容的理解。作为一个社区，小学科学教师教育工作者认识到为他们的教师候选人准备科学内容知识的持久挑战。这个项目有可能对本科基础教育专业的科学教学产生重大影响，从而对他们未来的小学生产生影响。NSF IUSE：EHR计划支持研究和开发项目，以提高所有学生的STEM教育的有效性。通过参与式学生学习路径，该计划支持创建、探索和实施有前途的实践和工具。罗伯特·诺伊斯教师奖学金(Noyce)计划为IUSE：EHR项目提供共同资金，以支持该项目的职前教师培养目标，这些目标与诺伊斯计划的目标非常一致。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势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.