Teacher Educators’ Perspectives on Using an Instructional Toolkit for Supporting Three-dimensional Science Teaching

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Wednesday 2:30 pm Four Seasons Ballroom 4
  In Roundtable Session: Teacher Perspectives on and Experiences in Science Education (Table 4)

Abstract

Adopting the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) requires significant shifts in K-12 science instruction and science teacher preparation. One significant shift is the implementation of three-dimensional teaching (3D teaching), which engages students in collectively utilizing disciplinary core ideas, science and engineering practices, and crosscutting concepts. We developed an instructional toolkit to enhance pre-service and in-service teachers’ understanding of 3D teaching. In this study, we examined five teacher educators’ usage of the toolkit. The teacher educators’ responses revealed that teachers faced challenges in implementing 3D teaching related to their personal knowledge, NGSS-aligned resources, and the assessment system. Respondents also elaborated on the affordances and constraints of the toolkit. The relevant findings will inform the design of effective PD for teacher educators.

Authors

• Lin Xiang, University of Kentucky

• Sara Stalker, University of Kentucky