Teachers' Evolving Pedagogical Frames for Scientific Modeling: Three-Year Longitudinal Study in a Professional Learning Community

• In Event: 29.047 - Modeling in K–12 Science Classrooms: Layers of Support for Equitable Implementation of Next Generation Science Standards Practices

Abstract

Purpose
To prepare students for the Next Generation Science Standards, teachers can support students in reasoning with scientific modeling—which is a central way of exploring, constructing and revising theories about processes in the natural world (NGSS Lead States, 2013).
In learning communities, teachers need opportunities to reason with scientific practices for themselves (authors, 2006). Their comprehensive understanding of scientific modeling is crucial in shaping their discourse and epistemic practices in classrooms (Justi & Gilbert, 2002; Stroupe, 2014). Furthermore, research in other disciplines suggests that many teachers reason with how the reform efforts might align with other school and district mandates (Allen & Penuel, 2015). This paper examines teachers’ shifts in understanding and instructional decision-making about scientific modeling as they collaboratively engaged in a professional learning community for three years.

Perspective
To study teacher learning and development, we use the concept of framing (Goffman, 1974; Hammer et al., 2005). Teachers’ frames of scientific modeling include their sense of what scientific modeling is, the nature of knowledge and roles of learners in the practice, and what they should do to support students’ modeling. From the sophisticated viewpoint, scientific modeling is a dynamic process to construct, evaluate and revise models to explain natural phenomena (Schwarz et al., 2009). Teachers can understand students as epistemic agents who are responsible for their knowledge building and try to build a collaborative classroom culture to construct and revise models (Stroupe, 2014).

Data Sources/Methods
We qualitatively analyzed three years of job-embedded professional learning days [9 Studio Days]. On Studio Days, a team of teachers collaborated with coaches and researchers to plan, implement, and reflect on modeling lessons and analyze student models. Videos, notes and artifacts including scaffolds in models were used as data sources. We attended to teachers’ discussions and pedagogical decisions about modeling both inside and outside classrooms.

Results
Teachers came to understand scientific modeling as epistemic practice and students as a community of epistemic agents. Teachers’ evolving frames were shaped by collective discussions and pedagogical decisions about their modeling instructions. In the early days, when teachers focused on the features of model scaffolds, such as the explanation checklist, teachers regarded scientific models as tools for students to summarize what they learned and preparation for writing explanations. Teachers did not associate modeling with the idea of revision; entities and ideas were often simply added to the models.
Gradually teachers focused more on causal relations in students’ models and framed modeling as students’ construction of explanations about phenomena. They could combine supports for scientific modeling with other pedagogical moves such as supporting English language learners. They also emphasized the collaboration of classroom communities in constructing and revising models.

Significance
We explored how teachers developed their sense of a disciplinary practice in a professional learning community. This can suggest ways to help teachers productively individualize epistemic practices in their classrooms. Our findings also highlight the importance of providing opportunities for teachers to participate in the collaborative sense-making and pedagogical decision making through cycles of instructional inquiry.

Authors

• Soo-Yean Shim, University of Washington - Seattle

• Jessica J. Thompson, University of Washington