CAREER: ILETES: Informal Learning Environments in Teacher Education for STEM

这份职业建议侧重于教师身份的发展，这些身份被操作为信念和实践、行为和教学知识。PI使用定性的方法，分两个阶段进行，调查正式-非正式合作对身份发展的影响。该研究以生态学理论为基础，结合了非正式学习环境的观点，认为非正式学习环境是由学习者驱动的，其独特之处在于在学习者群体的意义形成过程中提供了与对象互动的机会。纵向研究设计包括收集一系列数据，包括对教学活动的观察、访谈、调查答复和档案文件，如学生作业和课堂经验视频。PI使用叙事分析和扎根的理论方法来生成关于行为的信念和实践以及从非正式科学教育经验中了解的教学知识的主题。研究结果和相关教育活动使该领域了解到将非正式科学活动融入科学教师教育的最佳做法，包括为在非正式学习环境中学习的STEM教师确定适当的支持类型。在修订现有课程和为新教师和有经验的教师开发新课程和经验方面，国际教师协会正在整合研究成果。该项目需要有经验证据证明国际教育研究所的经验对专业发展的影响，并将建设非正式科学机构和大学专业人员的能力，以提供有效的教师教育经验和新教师支助。

This CAREER proposal focuses on the development of teachers' identities, which are operationalized as beliefs and practices, behaviors, and pedagogical knowledge. The PI uses a qualitative approach, occurring over two phases, to investigate the impact of formal-informal collaborations on identity development over time. The study is grounded in an ecological theoretical approach that incorporates a view of informal learning settings as learner-driven and unique in providing opportunities for interaction with objects during meaning-making experiences among groups of learners. The longitudinal research design includes collection of an array of data, including observations of teaching and learning activities, interviews, survey responses, and archival documents such as student work and videos of classroom experiences. The PI uses a narrative analysis and a grounded theoretical approach to generate themes about beliefs and practices around behaviors and pedagogical knowledge informed by informal science education experiences.Research findings and related educational activities inform the field's understanding of best practices of integrating informal science activities into science teacher education, including determining appropriate kinds of support for STEM teachers who learn to teach in informal learning environments (ILE). The PI is integrating research findings in the revision of existing courses and the development of new courses and experiences for both new and experienced teachers. The project addresses the need for empirical evidence of impacts of ILE experiences on professional development, and will build capacity of informal science institution and university professionals to provide effective teacher education experiences and new teacher support.