This self-study examined the 1st-year science teacher educator's integration of instructional technology into a science methods course and modeled the reflective practice of her own teaching. Elementary science methods students participated in a series of inquiry-based activities that utilized various instructional technologies. Data sources included daily reflections, formative assessments, concern-based surveys, and class assignments. Findings from this self-study revealed that the teacher educator's own reflections and practical inquiry influenced and paralleled her students’ development of learning how to teach scientific inquiry using instructional technology. Results suggest that inviting preservice teachers into reflective practice and modeling for them the development of professional practical knowledge allow them to address the uncertainties in their own learning about using technology for inquiry-based science teaching.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abell, S., Bryan, L., & Anderson, M. (1998). Investigating preservice elementary science teacher reflective thinking using integrated media case-based instruction in elementary science teacher preparation. Science Education, 6, 491–510.
Angelo, T. A., & Cross, P. A. (1993). Classroom assessment techniques: A handbook for college teachers (2nd ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Barnes, D. (1998). Forward: Looking forward: The concluding remarks at the Castle Conference. In M. L. Hamilton (Ed.), Reconceptualizing teaching practice: Self-study in teacher education (pp. ix–xiv). London: Falmer Press.
Becker, H. J. (2001, April). How are teachers using computers in instruction? Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Seattle, WA.
Boone, W. J. (1993). Preservice elementary teachers’ view toward a science methods curriculum. Journal of Elementary Science Education, 5(2), 37–51.
Brown, A. L., & Campione, J. C. (1990). Communities of learning and thinking, or a context by any other name. Contributions to Human Development, 21, 108–126.
Brown, J. S., Collins, A., & Duguid, P. (1989). Situated cognition and the culture of learning. Educational researchers, 18, 32–42.
Brush, T. (Ed.). (2003). Preparing tomorrow's teachers to use technology (PT3) [Special issue]. Educational Technology Research and Development, 51(1).
Butts, D., Koballa, T., & Elliott, T. (1997). Does participating in an undergraduate science methods course make a difference? Journal of Elementary Science Education, 9(2), 1–17.
Capobianco, B. M. (2007). Science teacher' attempts at integrting feminist pedagogy through collaborative action research. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 44(1), 1--32.
Capobianco, B. M., Horowitz, R., Canuel-Browne, D., & Trimarchi, R. (2004). Action research for teachers: Understanding the necessary steps for developing and implementing productive action plans. The Science Teacher, 48–53.
Capobianco, B. M., Lincoln, S., Canuel-Browne, D., & Trimarchi, R. (2006). Examining the experiences of three generations of teacher researchers through collaborative science teacher inquiry. Teacher Education Quarterly, 33(3), 61–78.
Carr, W., & Kemmis, S. (1986). Becoming critical: Education, knowledge, and action research. London: Falmer Press.
Cochran, K. F., DeRuiter, J. A., & King, R. A. (1993). Pedagogical content knowing: An integrative model for teacher preparation. Journal of Teacher Education, 44, 263–272.
Cochran, K., & Jones, L. (1998). The subject matter knowledge of preservice teachers. In K. Tobin & B. Frazer (Eds.), International handbook of science education. Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Kluwer.
Cochran-Smith, M., & Lytle, S. L. (1993). Inside/outside: Teacher research and knowledge. New York: Teachers College Press.
Eden, C., & Huxham, C. (1999). Action research for the study of organizations. In S. Clegg & C. Hardy (Eds.), Studying organization: Theory and method (pp. 526–542). London: Sage.
Elliott, J. (1991). Action research for educational change. Philadelphia: Open University Press.
Feldman, A. (1994). Erzberger's dilemma: Validity in action research and science teachers’ need to know. Science Education, 78(1), 83–101.
Feldman, A., & Capobianco, B. M. (2002). Action research in science education. ERIC Digest: Clearinghouse for Science, Mathematics, and Environmental Education. Retrieved December 7, 2006, from http://www.ericdigests.org/2003-1/action.htm.
Fullan, M. G. (1991). The new meaning of educational change. New York: Teachers College Press.
Hall, G. E., & Loucks, S. (1978). Teacher concerns as a basis for facilitating and personalizing staff development. Teaches College Record, 80(1), 36–53.
Hall, G. E., George, A. A., & Rutherford, W. L. (1998). Measuring stages of concern about the innovation: A manual for use of the SoC questionnaire. Austin: Research and Development Center for Teacher Education, University of Texas.
Hamilton, M. L. (Ed.). (1998). Reconceptualizing teaching practice: Self-study in teacher education. London: Falmer Press.
Hewson, P. W., Tabachnick, R. B., Zeichner, K. M., Blomerk, K. B., Meyer, H., Lemberger, J., Marion, R., Park, H., & Toolin, R. (1999). Educating prospective teachers of biology: Introduction and research methods. Science Education, 83(3), 247–73.
Hodson, D., & Bencze, L. (1998). Becoming critical about practical work: Changing views changing practice through action research. International Journal of Science Education, 20, 683–694.
Holly, M. (1989). Reflective writing and the spirit of inquiry. Cambridge Journal of Education, 19(1), 71–80.
Hord, S. M., Rutherford, W. L., Huling-Austin, L., & Hall, G. E. (1987). Taking charge of change. Alexandria, VA: ASCD Publications.
Joyce, B. (Ed). (1990). Changing school culture through staff development, 1990 yearbook. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Knowles, J. G., & Cole, A. L. (1995). Teacher educators reflecting on writing in practice. In T. Russell & F. Korthagen (Eds.), Teachers who teach teachers: Reflections on teacher education (pp. 71–94). London: Falmer Press.
Lehman, J. D. (2003). P3T3: [Name of university] program for preparing tomorrow's teachers to use technology. In M. A. Fitzgerald, M. Orey, & R. M. Branch (Eds.), Educational media and technology yearbook 2003 (pp. 161–168). Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited.
Lewin, K. (1946). Action research and minority problems. Journal of Social Issues, 2(4), 34–46.
Lieberman, A., & Miller, L. (Eds.). (1991). Staff development for education in the 90s: New demands, new realities, new perspectives (2nd ed.). New York: Teachers College Press.
Lincoln, Y. S., & Guba, E. G. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. Thousands Oaks, CA: Sage.
Loughran, J. (1996). Developing reflective practice: Learning about teaching and learning through modeling. London: Falmer Press.
Loughran, J., Hamilton, M. L., LaBoskey, V. K., & Russell, T. L. (Eds.). (2004). International handbook of self-study on teaching and teacher education (vol. 12). Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Kluwer.
Loughan, J., Milroy, P., Berry, A., Gunstone, R., & Mulhall, P. (2001). Documenting science teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge through PaP-eR's. Research in Science Education, 31, 289–307.
Loughran, J., & Northfield, J. (1998). A framework for the development of self-study practice. In M. L. Hamilton (Ed.), Reconceptualizing teaching practice: Self-study in teacher education (pp. 7–18). London: Falmer Press.
McKernan, J. (1988). The countenance of curriculum action research: Traditional, collaborative, and emancipatory-critical conceptions. Journal of Curriculum and Supervision, 3, 173–200.
McKernan, J. (1991). Curriculum action research: A handbook of methods and resources for the reflective practitioner. London: Kogan Page.
McNiff, J. (2002). Action research: Principles and practice (2nd ed.). London: Routhledge.
Munby, H., & Russell, T. (1994). The authority of experience in learning to teach: Messages from a physics methods class. Journal of Teacher Education, 45(2), 86–95.
National Research Council. (1996). National science education standards. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
National Research Council. (2000). Inquiry and the national science education standards: A guide for teaching and learning. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
Noffke, S. (1997). Professional, personal, and political dimensions of action research. The 1997 Review of Educational Researcher, 22. Washington, DC: AERA.
Northfield, J., & Loughran, J. (1997, March). The nature of knowledge development in self-study practice. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Chicago.
Padilla, M. J. (1990, March). The science process skills. Research Matters, No. 9004. Retrieved December 7, 2006, from http://www.narst.org/publications/research/skill.htm.
Pedersen, J. E., & Yerrick, R. K. (2000). Technology in science teacher education: Survey of current uses and desired knowledge among science educators. Journal of Science Teacher Education, 11, 131–153.
Pinnegar, S. (1995). (Re-)Experiencing beginning. Teaching Education Quarterly, 22(3), 65–83.
Rice, D., & Roychoudhury, A. (2003). Preparing more confident preservice elementary science teachers: One elementary science methods teacher's self-study. Journal of Science Teacher Education, 14, 97–126.
Russell, T. (1995). Returning to the physics classroom to re-think how one learns physics. In T. Russell & F. Korthagen (Eds.), Teachers who teach teachers: Reflections on teacher education (pp. 95–109). Washington, DC: Falmer Press.
Russell, T., & Korthagen, F. (Eds.). (1995). Teachers who teach teachers: Reflections on teacher education. Washington, DC: Falmer Press.
Russell, T., & Munby, H. (1992). Transforming chemistry research into teaching: The complexities of adopting new frames for experience. In T. Russell & H. Munby (Eds.), Teachers and teaching: From classroom to reflection (pp. 90–108). London: Falmer Press.
Schön, D. (1983). The reflective practitioner: How professionals think in action. New York: Basic Books.
Schön, D. (1987). Educating the reflective practitioner. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Shulman, L. S. (1986). Those who understand: Knowledge growth in teaching. Educational Researcher, 15(2), 4–14.
Shulman, L. S. (1987). Knowledge and teaching: Foundations of the new reform. Harvard Educational Review, 57(1), 1–22.
Stenhouse, L. (1975). An introduction to curriculum research and development. London: Heinemann.
Strauss, A., & Corbin, J. (1990). Basics of qualitative research: Grounded theory procedures and techniques. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
Tabachnick, B. R., & Zeichner, K. M. (1999). Idea and action: Action research and the development of conceptual change teaching of science. Science Education, 83, 309–322.
van Zee, E. H. (1998a). Fostering elementary teachers’ research on their science teaching practices. Journal of Teacher Education, 49, 245–254.
van Zee, E. H. (1998b). Preparing teachers as researchers in courses on methods of teaching science. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 35, 791–809.
van Zee, E., Lay, D., & Roberts, D. (2003). Fostering collaborative inquiries by prospective and practicing elementary and middle school teachers. Science Education, 87, 588–612.
Acknowledgments
Funding provided by U. S. Department of Education Grant # P342A000075. However, the contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the federal government.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
About this article
Cite this article
Capobianco, B.M. A Self-Study of the Role of Technology in Promoting Reflection and Inquiry-Based Science Teaching. J Sci Teacher Educ 18, 271–295 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10972-007-9041-z
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10972-007-9041-z