The Evolution of Beginning Science Teachers' Reform-Based Beliefs and Practices in an Induction Program

• In Event: Examining Teacher Induction and Retention in STEM

Abstract

Results from the first year of a National Science Foundation (NSF) Noyce research project indicate a statistically significant decrease in beginning secondary science teachers’ beliefs about reformed lesson design and implementation, as measured by the Beliefs About Reformed Science Teaching and Learning questionnaire (Sampson, Enderle, & Grooms, 2013). However, the same teachers exhibited a statistically significant increase in observed reformed practices related to student/teacher relationships, as indicated by the Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol (Sawada et al., 2002). Interview and journal data further support these findings with themes related to the role of the teacher, the nature of student engagement, and agency in planning for learning.

Authors

• Joshua Alexander Ellis, Michigan Technological University

• Elizabeth A. Ring-Whalen, St. Catherine University

• Gillian Roehrig, University of Minnesota