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Possibilities for Transformative Science Teaching in Elementary: One Preservice Teacher’s Story (Poster 11)

Fri, April 25, 3:20 to 4:50pm MDT (3:20 to 4:50pm MDT), The Colorado Convention Center, Floor: Terrace Level, Bluebird Ballroom Room 3A

Abstract

Objectives
Teachers’ stories can illustrate their strengths and highlight what is possible. For instance, teachers name vignettes of practice within educative curriculum materials as particularly helpful (Authors, 2017). Through Lana, a preservice elementary teacher with a commitment to environmental justice, we share one story of transformative science teaching (Morales-Doyle, 2024), asking: How does one preservice teacher conceptualize integrating environmental and climate justice issues into a writing unit?

Framework
Beyond knowledge, beliefs, and practices related to justice, teachers need to be “activists and advocates” (Cochran-Smith, 2010, p. 457). Transformative science teaching requires that teachers listen to students, engage with families, and study complex social justice science issues (SJSIs) as generative themes for learning (Morales-Doyle, 2024). This kind of transformative, justice-centered science education challenges ideas of science and teaching as ‘neutral’ (NASEM, 2022). It requires teachers to interrogate dominant ideologies (Bang et al., 2012), leverage children’s funds of knowledge (Moll & Greenberg, 1990), and embrace moments of uncertainty (Manz & Suárez, 2018).

Methods & Data Sources
Lana’s story occurs within a teacher education program at a public university. We identified her due to her commitment to teaching environmental justice issues and decision to develop a fourth grade writing unit around human impacts on the environment. We analyzed three interviews, taking an emergent coding approach and revising codes in conversation with the literature (e.g., Morales-Doyle, 2024). We ultimately focused on seven elements of transformative science teaching we identify in Table 1.

Results
Lana’s story is one of collaboration—with her mentor teacher, students, and their families—to nurture a space where children grapple with complex SJSIs like climate change and become change agents. We focus here on how she facilitated action. Lana emphasized a collective responsibility to act and teach others, starting with their own family members. She named this as a key goal of the unit, saying
They're very interested in how they are the next generation of lawmakers and scientists... They’re educators, when they're writing these research papers, the point of them is because they are using them to teach other people (Interview 2)
As a culmination of students’ work, Lana invited parents and important adults to a student speaker series in the school garden. She centered activism to preempt anxiety, expressing concerns about children’s well-being, saying, “You never know what they’re ready to hear, and I don’t want to create any climate anxiety moments or any other kind of existential dread” (Interview 3).

Significance
Building off Morales-Doyle’s (2024) transformative science teaching, we outline a preliminary model for teaching through SJSIs (see Figure 1). Lana’s story is but one illustration of this model. Educative curriculum material designers might consider how to center SJSIs, with suggestions for adapting to local contexts. Listening to teachers’ stories with an eye to which elements of this model might be useful can support teacher educators and curriculum designers to guide teachers in this challenging work.

Authors