Moving Beyond Students as Blank Slates: Middle School Science Teachers’ Practices Around Surfacing Prior Knowledge

• In Event: Poster Session 7
  In Poster Session: Exploring the Space of Science Pedagogical Practices

Abstract

Middle school is a crucial time for students to develop a strong understanding of and appreciation for science. Effective science teaching practices in middle school may maintain persistence in the STEM pipeline. Consistent with conceptual change theory, current science education reform efforts give credence to the notion that learning occurs when there is an interaction between the ideas students bring to the classroom and what they are taught. The purpose of this research was to explore how teachers elicit students’ prior knowledge as they implement a reform-based science curriculum. Despite supporting professional development and educative features in the curriculum, participating teachers demonstrated a range of practices around surfacing prior knowledge, which has implications for their ability to guide students’ learning.

Authors

• Jennifer Mesa, University of Florida

• Rose Pringle, University of Florida

• Lynda Hayes, P.K. Yonge Developmental Research School

• Cheryl Althea McLaughlin, University of Florida

• Natalie Simone King, University of Florida