Accommodators, Negotiators, Tempered Radicals: How Elementary Teachers Respond to Dilemmas of Practice in High-Needs Schools

• In Event: Teacher Leadership Within STEM

Abstract

Threats to teacher autonomy and professionalism loom large for elementary teachers in high-needs schools who are committed to integrating science and engineering into their curricula. We asked: What dilemmas of practice do elementary teachers encounter as they work to integrate science and engineering into their practice? And, in what ways do elementary teachers respond to those dilemmas of practice? With interview analysis, this narrative inquiry explored the lived experiences and narratives of 47 elementary school teachers, the majority of whom teach in high-needs schools with highly minoritized student populations. Teachers expressed dilemmas (Windschitl, 2002) centering around the role of the teacher and ideal curriculum and pedagogy and responded as accommodators, negotiators, and/or tempered radicals (Meyerson, 2010).

Author

• Alison Mercier, University of Wyoming