A Veteran Elementary Teacher's Changing Identity as a Teacher of Science

• In Event: 16.059 - Poster Session 2
  In Poster Session: 16.059-1 - Division K Section 3 Poster Session 3

Abstract

This study examines one veteran elementary teacher’s developing identity as a teacher of science. Research into the development of elementary teachers’ identities as teachers of science has not included the influence of experiences with science or interactions with colleagues. Additionally, little is known about the influence of a science specialist in a school on an elementary teacher’s identity as a teacher of science. Using a narrative inquiry methodology, we examine the influence of a teacher’s past experiences with science and her interactions with the school’s science specialists and administration on her identity formation. Her identity changed throughout her years of teaching, as her relationship with the science specialists changed and the administration’s focus on reading and mathematics became more pronounced.

Authors

• Jeanne L. Brunner, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

• John Y Myers, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign