Rethinking the Presentation of the

NSTA Standards for Science Teacher Preparation

Electronic Journal of Science Education V4 N3, Duggan-Haas, Enfield and Ashmann - March 2000

Authors (click on the author's name to go to a description of their role in this work)
Don Duggan-Haas, Kalamazoo College, 1200 Academy St., Kalamazoo, MI 46006 [email protected]
Mark Enfield, 301 C Erickson Hall, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824 Michigan State University [email protected]
Scott Ashmann, 301 C Erickson Hall, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824 Michigan State University [email protected]
Acknowledgements
About the NSTA Standards for Science Teacher Preparation...

Abstract for Paper Set

This paper set is a response to the recently drafted National Science Teacher Association standards for science teacher preparation, and it focuses on the presentation of the standards rather than the standards themselves. We primarily address the nature of the structure and presentation of the standards and suggest that the flexibility of electronic publishing be exploited to overcome problems associated with the ordered presentation of the standards used in early drafts. We feel our proposed format carries both explicit and implicit messages that need to be conveyed to individuals associated with these programs. Our format places content and pedagogy in equally important positions in a science teacher preparation program. Thus, another section of our argument addresses the role pedagogical content knowledge should play in the preparation of future science teachers.

The Schematic of Contents

 

Concluding Remarks for Paper Set


Author's roles

Don Duggan-Haas

Don was primarily responsible for the development of the schematic featured throughout this article, for the structure of the article and for the electronic formatting. He wrote the Introduction to This Paper Set and most of the text in the Proposed Introduction to the Standards.

Don Duggan-Haas is the Director of Teaching Internships and an Instructor in the Education Department at Kalamazoo College in Kalamazoo, Michigan. He is in the final stages of writing his dissertation as an advanced doctoral student at Michigan State University. His dissertation investigates the relationship of college science teaching and science teacher preparation. The working title for the dissertation is Scientists are from Mars, Educators are from Venus: Relationships in the Ecology of Science Teacher Preparation. He can be reached at [email protected].

Mark Enfield

Mark wrote the article on Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) and developed the disaggregation of Figure 2.

Mark Enfield is a graduate student in Curriculum, Teaching, and Educational Policy at Michigan State University. His pre dissertation work examines the challenges teachers face, as well as the roles and purposes of whole group, sense making science discussions in ethnically and racially diverse elementary classrooms. He anticipates continuing this line of inquiry in his dissertation research. He can be reached at [email protected].

Scott Ashmann

Scott wrote the Rationale for the Non-Linear Presentation.

Scott Ashmann is a Ph.D. student in Curriculum, Teaching, and Educational Policy with an emphasis in science education at Michigan State University. His dissertation examines the influence being a teacher candidate's mentor teacher can have on the teaching practices of secondary science teachers. He is also interested in the history of science education and issues surrounding the professional development of science teachers. He can be reached at [email protected].


Acknowledgements:

The authors are grateful for the work done by members of the CASE Network, and especially Steve Gilbert for his perseverance in the completion of these Standards and to the individuals who coordinated the writing of each Standard (see below). Without their work, ours would have been impossible. The authors would also like to thank Jim Gallagher. Jim was the professor for TE 991A, Special Topics in Science Education, at Michigan State University during the Spring 1998 semester. The course that was the genesis for this paper set. Jim also provided some text for the Proposed Introduction to the Standards.

About the NSTA Standards for Science Teacher Preparation...

This article is a response to repeated requests for feedback on the NSTA Standards for Science Teacher Preparation. The Standards were developed by a great number of science educators. Each of the ten standards had a lead author, who is listed below with e-mail addresses. This table is reproduced from Bill Baird's editorial on the progress of these standards in March 1998 EJSE http://unr.edu/homepage/jcannon/ejse/baird.html. The table, like the schematic above, has each standard's name linked to the text for that standard. Baird's editorial offers a good description of the history of these standards. The current version of the standards can be accessed directly from Steve Gilbert's website at http://www.iuk.edu/faculty/sgilbert/nsta98.htm.

The full text of each standard is reproduced within this document. This was done to help us make the argument for a reformatting of the Standards, not for a rewriting. We have attempted to make it clear wherever the text of other authors is reproduced. The Standards were written under the leadership of the individuals listed below. Their work is always shown on a light blue background.

Content Steven Gilbert [email protected]
Nature of Science  Norm Lederman  [email protected]
Inquiry Larry Flick [email protected]
Context of Science Jim Ellis [email protected]
Pedagogy Barbara Spector [email protected]
Science Curriculum John Staver [email protected]
Social Context Mary Atwater [email protected]
Professional Practice Ron Bonnstetter  [email protected]
Learning Environments Hans Andersen [email protected]
Assessment Bill Baird [email protected]

Table from Baird 1998.

 

Schematic of Contents Introduction to This Paper Set
Proposed Introduction to the NSTA Standards for Science Teacher Preparation Content and Pedagogy: Intersection in the NSTA Standards for Science Teacher Education

Rationale for a Non-Linear Presentation

Concluding Remarks

The Electronic Journal of Science Education