T253 Research and Strategies to Build a K–12 Geoscience Teacher Workforce

Wednesday, 25 September 2019
8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Room 106BC, West Building

THE ROLE OF PROGRAM STANDARDS FOR SCIENCE TEACHER PREPARATION IN REALIZING THE VISION OF THE FRAMEWORK FOR K-12 SCIENCE EDUCATION

Paper number: T253-2
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 8:15 AM – 8:30 AM

Authors

  • Eric Pyle Presenting Author
    James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA

Abstract

With the release of A Framework for K-12 Science Education (2012) and the Next Generation Science Standards (2013), much effort has gone into developing materials and professional development experiences that attempt to incorporate the 3-dimensional nature of the new standards. Some providers of these experiences, however, have pointed out that these standards are unlikely to have a lasting impact on K-12 science teaching if the nature of schooling remains unchanged. One way in which the standards might have such impact is their incorporation into science teacher preparation and induction programs for new teachers of Earth science. In a time when many such programs are facing difficulty recruiting candidates, the timing may never be better to change the practice of Earth science teacher preparation. NSTA has maintained standards for science teacher preparation through the accreditation process through the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Programs (CAEP), but their role has been limited to secondary science programs, and then only to those programs requiring the highest level of review – impacting roughly 10% of all new science teachers in a given year.

In 2016, NSTA initiated a joint committee with the Association for Science Teacher Education (ASTE) to adapt these standards to reflect the 3D learning vision of NGSS in a manner that was comprehensive across K-12 teacher preparation as well as facilitative for program improvement. Approved by the ASTE and NSTA Boards in 2018, they remain a part of the accreditation process, while NSTA considers the feasibility of their use in broader program recognition. This presentation will examine the nature of these new standards relative to Earth science teacher preparation, their relationship to the recent Community Grand Challenge (2018) on teacher preparation, and possible approaches to their transformative role in the Earth science preparation of teachers of science across the K-12 continuum.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 51, No. 5

doi: 10.1130/abs/2019AM-340848

© Copyright 2019 The Geological Society of America (GSA), all rights reserved. Permission is hereby granted to the author(s) of this abstract to reproduce and distribute it freely, for noncommercial purposes. Permission is hereby granted to any individual scientist to download a single copy of this electronic file and reproduce up to 20 paper copies for noncommercial purposes advancing science and education, including classroom use, providing all reproductions include the complete content shown here, including the author information. All other forms of reproduction and/or transmittal are prohibited without written permission from GSA Copyright Permissions.