Elementary

Development of a Questionnaire on Teachers' Beliefs, Preparedness, and Instructional Practices for Teaching NGSS Science with Multilingual Learners

The limited availability of research instruments that reflect the vision of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) restricts the field's understanding of whether and how teachers are making instructional shifts called for by the standards. The need for such instruments is particularly urgent with teachers of multilingual learners (MLs), who are called on to make shifts in how they think about and enact instruction related to both science and language.

Author/Presenter

Scott E. Grapin

Courtney Plumley

Eric Banilower

Alycia J. Sterenberg Mahon

Laura Craven

Kristen Malzahn

Joan Pasley

Abigail Schwenger

Alison Haas

Okhee Lee

Lead Organization(s)
Year
2024
Short Description

The limited availability of research instruments that reflect the vision of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) restricts the field's understanding of whether and how teachers are making instructional shifts called for by the standards. The need for such instruments is particularly urgent with teachers of multilingual learners (MLs), who are called on to make shifts in how they think about and enact instruction related to both science and language. The purpose of this study was to develop and gather validity evidence for a questionnaire that measures elementary teachers' beliefs, preparedness, and instructional practices for teaching NGSS science with MLs.

Understanding Variation in Integrated STEM Practice as Measured by the STEM Observation Protocol (STEM-OP)

To better understand integrated STEM education, this work explored scores on the STEM Observation Protocol (STEM-OP), a newly developed observation protocol for use in K-12 science and engineering classrooms. The goals of this work were to better understand how integrated STEM might look throughout an integrated STEM unit and identify limitations of the instrument when examining daily scores and full unit implementation scores. The work takes a mixed methods approach to first examine what scores may be typically seen with daily and unit implementations.

Author/Presenter

Emily A. Dare

Elizabeth A. Ring-Whalen

Year
2024
Short Description

To better understand integrated STEM education, this work explored scores on the STEM Observation Protocol (STEM-OP), a newly developed observation protocol for use in K-12 science and engineering classrooms. The goals of this work were to better understand how integrated STEM might look throughout an integrated STEM unit and identify limitations of the instrument when examining daily scores and full unit implementation scores.

Understanding Variation in Integrated STEM Practice as Measured by the STEM Observation Protocol (STEM-OP)

To better understand integrated STEM education, this work explored scores on the STEM Observation Protocol (STEM-OP), a newly developed observation protocol for use in K-12 science and engineering classrooms. The goals of this work were to better understand how integrated STEM might look throughout an integrated STEM unit and identify limitations of the instrument when examining daily scores and full unit implementation scores. The work takes a mixed methods approach to first examine what scores may be typically seen with daily and unit implementations.

Author/Presenter

Emily A. Dare

Elizabeth A. Ring-Whalen

Year
2024
Short Description

To better understand integrated STEM education, this work explored scores on the STEM Observation Protocol (STEM-OP), a newly developed observation protocol for use in K-12 science and engineering classrooms. The goals of this work were to better understand how integrated STEM might look throughout an integrated STEM unit and identify limitations of the instrument when examining daily scores and full unit implementation scores.

Novice Elementary Teachers’ Science Teaching: Instructional Planning and Discourse

Teaching science to elementary school students is complex, and teacher preparation programs must support preservice teachers’ learning to communicate science content and practices with children. Science teachers bring the experiences they have as students to their teacher preparation, and these experiences may support or conflict with what they are learning about effective teaching. In this study, we present stories of two first-year teachers who attended a STEM-focused teacher preparation program in the U.S.

Author/Presenter

Sarah J. Carrier

James Minogue

Aimee B. Fraulo

Year
2024
Short Description

Teaching science to elementary school students is complex, and teacher preparation programs must support preservice teachers’ learning to communicate science content and practices with children. Science teachers bring the experiences they have as students to their teacher preparation, and these experiences may support or conflict with what they are learning about effective teaching. In this study, we present stories of two first-year teachers who attended a STEM-focused teacher preparation program in the U.S.

Engaging Elementary Students in Science Practice: Strategies for Helping Children Plan Investigations

This article presents a tool that teachers can use to support children in planning science investigations. Using an extended example from a second-grade investigation into seed dispersal, we describe strategies for structuring conversations that anchor investigations in phenomena and provide opportunities for students to be involved in making decisions about what materials to use in an investigation, how to use materials, and what to look for or count as evidence.

Author/Presenter

Annabel Stoler

Eve Manz

Lead Organization(s)
Year
2024
Short Description

This article presents a tool that teachers can use to support children in planning science investigations. Using an extended example from a second-grade investigation into seed dispersal, we describe strategies for structuring conversations that anchor investigations in phenomena and provide opportunities for students to be involved in making decisions about what materials to use in an investigation, how to use materials, and what to look for or count as evidence.

Schoolyard SITES Curriculum Workbook & Citizen Science Guide

This curriculum workbook details a design process for engaging students in citizen science investigations that are relevant to their school district’s curriculum and school site. The citizen science guide is designed to help users critically examine potential citizen science projects to determine whether they can be easily adapted for use in a classroom curriculum and schoolyard setting.

Author/Presenter

Lara Gengarelly

Erik Froburg

Malin Clyde

Haley Andreozzi

Lead Organization(s)
Year
2023
Short Description

This curriculum workbook details a design process for engaging elementary students in citizen science investigations that are relevant to their school district’s curriculum and school site. The citizen science guide is designed to help users critically examine potential citizen science projects to determine whether they can be easily adapted for use in a classroom curriculum and schoolyard setting.

VISIONS Project K–12 Resources

These resources are designed to help put high-quality, equitable math instruction into practice. The VISIONS Project fosters collaboration among state, district, and school-based leaders; mathematics teachers; mathematicians; and researchers who co-design essential tools for all grade levels.

Author/Presenter

Katherine Mawhinney

Allison McCulloch

Catherine Schwartz

Peter Wilson

Year
2023
Short Description

These resources are designed to help put high-quality, equitable math instruction into practice. The VISIONS Project fosters collaboration among state, district, and school-based leaders; mathematics teachers; mathematicians; and researchers who co-design essential tools for all grade levels.

VISIONS Project K–12 Resources

These resources are designed to help put high-quality, equitable math instruction into practice. The VISIONS Project fosters collaboration among state, district, and school-based leaders; mathematics teachers; mathematicians; and researchers who co-design essential tools for all grade levels.

Author/Presenter

Katherine Mawhinney

Allison McCulloch

Catherine Schwartz

Peter Wilson

Year
2023
Short Description

These resources are designed to help put high-quality, equitable math instruction into practice. The VISIONS Project fosters collaboration among state, district, and school-based leaders; mathematics teachers; mathematicians; and researchers who co-design essential tools for all grade levels.

VISIONS Project K–12 Resources

These resources are designed to help put high-quality, equitable math instruction into practice. The VISIONS Project fosters collaboration among state, district, and school-based leaders; mathematics teachers; mathematicians; and researchers who co-design essential tools for all grade levels.

Author/Presenter

Katherine Mawhinney

Allison McCulloch

Catherine Schwartz

Peter Wilson

Year
2023
Short Description

These resources are designed to help put high-quality, equitable math instruction into practice. The VISIONS Project fosters collaboration among state, district, and school-based leaders; mathematics teachers; mathematicians; and researchers who co-design essential tools for all grade levels.

VISIONS Project K–12 Resources

These resources are designed to help put high-quality, equitable math instruction into practice. The VISIONS Project fosters collaboration among state, district, and school-based leaders; mathematics teachers; mathematicians; and researchers who co-design essential tools for all grade levels.

Author/Presenter

Katherine Mawhinney

Allison McCulloch

Catherine Schwartz

Peter Wilson

Year
2023
Short Description

These resources are designed to help put high-quality, equitable math instruction into practice. The VISIONS Project fosters collaboration among state, district, and school-based leaders; mathematics teachers; mathematicians; and researchers who co-design essential tools for all grade levels.