A Self-Study in Elementary Science Teacher Preparation: Supporting Teacher Candidates' Development of Equity-Oriented Pedagogical Practices

• In Event: Sheraton Roundtable Session Three
  In Roundtable Session: Self-Studies of Enacting Equity-Centered, Culturally Relevant Teacher Education (Table 13)

Abstract

In this work, I use self-study methodology to examine my experience as a science teacher educator implementing and supporting the development of equity-oriented pedagogies, specifically experiential learning, place-based science practices, and critical consciousness, among PreK-4 teacher candidates. Using culturally relevant pedagogy as a theoretical framework, this study explores the process of preparing pre-service teachers to develop lessons that leverage science as relevant to the lived experiences of school-aged children in historically segregated urban communities while increasing their personal awareness of environmental injustices that can be understood through the content areas of life, chemical, Earth, and physical sciences. The self-study provides insights into how to support the development of teacher candidates’ abilities to implement equity-based instructional approaches.

Author

• Shondricka Burrell, Morgan State University
  Presenting Author