Making Teacher and Student Thinking Visible: Epistemic Tools and Strategies in a Science Video-Based, Analysis-of-Practice Program

• In Event: 34.037 - Using Epistemic Tools to Support Reasoning, Student Agency, and Equity

Abstract

Objective
The Learning from Analysis of Science Teaching (LAST) professional development (PD) program was previously studied in quasi-experimental and experimental contexts and demonstrated significant impact, with high effect sizes, on elementary teachers’ science and pedagogical content knowledge (PCK), their teaching practice, and their students’ learning (Authors, 2011; Authors, 2017; Authors, under review). This paper addresses the question: What epistemic tools and strategies in the LAST program made teacher and student thinking visible and might account for the strong learning results?
Theoretical Framework
The substance of the LAST program is defined by a conceptual framework that centers on two types of PCK: 1) revealing, supporting, and challenging students’ thinking (the Student Thinking Lens), and 2) supporting students in constructing coherent science content storylines (the Science Content Storyline Lens). The form of the LAST program is driven by a situated cognition theory of teacher learning (Lave & Wenger, 1991). The program supports grade-level specific, classroom-based (“situated”) learning by engaging teachers in videobased analysis-of-practice. In facilitated study groups, teachers collaboratively analyze their teaching and their students’ thinking as revealed in video clips and student work from teachers’ enactment of LAST-designed lesson plans.
Methods
While previous LAST reports presented quantitative data that documented the impact of the LAST PD program on both teachers and students (Authors, 2017; Authors under review), the current study uses qualitative coding methods to identify the LAST program epistemic tools and strategies that made both teacher and student thinking visible.
Data Sources
To identify tools and strategies that supported teachers, analysis focused on study group session videos and program leadership documents. Tools and strategies that made student thinking visible were identified through analysis of videos/transcripts of classroom lessons and lesson plans. These sources enabled us to identify epistemic tools and strategies that were used regularly to reveal teacher and student thinking.
Results
Epistemic tools that made teacher thinking visible were: 1) study group norms, 2) a Lesson Analysis Protocol for video analysis, 3) a student work analysis protocol, 4) LAST program planning tools, and 5) PD Leader use of elicit, probe, and challenge questions. The primary tools that made student thinking visible were nine teaching strategies that were used regularly in science lessons. These included three questioning strategies (elicit, probe, challenge) and six ways to engage students in sensemaking. A commonality between the tools that supported teachers and the strategies that supported students is a focus on evidence-based reasoning. The paper describes the tools/strategies and supports claims with dialogue examples from PD sessions and elementary science classrooms.
Scholarly Significance
The qualitative analyses conducted for this study are of particular importance because they focus on a program that has previously been rigorously tested quantitatively, showing strong teacher and student learning results. In addition, these analyses focused on making both teacher and student learning visible. Thus, the epistemic tools and strategies in the LAST program bring a strong evidentiary base and, as such, might be considered high-leverage practices to support teacher and student learning.

Authors

• Jody Bintz, Biological Sciences Curriculum Study

• Kathleen J. Roth, California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

• Connie Hvidsten, Biological Sciences Curriculum Study