Developing Understanding of the Nature of Science Within a Professional Development Program for Inservice Elementary Teachers: Project Nature of Elementary Science Teaching |
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| Authors: | Tracy J Posnanski |
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| Institution: | (1) School of Education, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, PO Box 413, Milwaukee, WI 53201-0413, USA |
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| Abstract: | Establishing literacy in science is often linked to building knowledge about the Nature of Science (NOS). This paper describes
and evaluates an inservice program designed to build elementary teachers’ understanding of NOS and an awareness of how NOS
impacts science classroom instruction. Data sources consisted of surveys, action research plan documentation and classroom
observations. Program participants tended to demonstrate some gains in understanding more about NOS and they linked positive
experiences in the program to the explicit and activity-based NOS instruction provided. Yet, participation in the professional
development project might not have been equally beneficial for all teachers. The understanding of NOS may have been restricted
to certain NOS aspects, and the demonstration of the participants’ understanding of NOS may have been short-lived with a somewhat
limited impact on sustainable, long-term NOS-based classroom instruction. Implications for designing NOS related professional
development programs and suggestions for improvements to further develop teacher understanding of NOS are discussed. |
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