Reimagining Science Teaching: Promoting teacher agency through a research-practice partnership for Bee Hunting convergent research

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Sunday 9:45 am - Gold 1
  In Roundtable Session: Curriculum as a Site of Struggle, Collaboration, and Transformation

Abstract

This paper discusses how a research-practice partnership (RPP) developed among in-service STEM teachers and educational and scientific researchers during a summer internship retreat supports teacher agency for the Bee Hunting convergent research project of the Arecibo C3 STEM Education Center in Puerto Rico. Funds of Knowledge (Moll et al., 1992) theoretical framework and Gold Standard PBL guided the analysis of the process of curriculum co-design. Using a qualitative case study design (Creswell, 2012) and collecting data from different sources: semi-structured interviews, observations and document analysis, the research team conducted inductive data analysis. Findings suggest that STEM teachers highly valued the RPP as it was considered a transformative learning experience that supports their teacher agency.

Authors

• Isabel Delgado, University of Puerto Rico - Río Piedras

• Sara Ocasio, University of Puerto Rico - Río Piedras

• Joseph Caroll, University of Puerto Rico - Río Piedras

• Jose Soto, University of Puerto Rico - Río Piedras

• Ariana Rodriguez, University of Puerto Rico - Río Piedras

• Lizbeth Alvarado, University of Puerto Rico - Río Piedras

• Jose Agosto, University of Puerto Rico - Río Piedras

• Martin Geria, University of Puerto Rico - Río Piedras