Current visions for science education in the United States highlight the notion that students should be afforded opportunities to participate in science learning in ways that mirror the discursive norms, practices, and epistemic orientations of scientists. In this way, K-12 teachers hold a complex responsibility to develop and implement instructional practices that will highlight both the content of science and the culture of science in meaningful ways that will engender student learning. In order to align with this vision of science learning and teaching, teachers should have a grasp of the discipline. That is, along with conceptual knowledge, teachers must also—for example—understand the norms, goals, and values of the scientific community, have knowledge of and skill with the practices of science, recognize the epistemic dimensions of science, and understand that science exists in a cultural and sociopolitical context. Yet, it is difficult to expect science teachers to know how to bring such nuanced aspects of the discipline of science into their instructional practice if they themselves have had little to no experience with the community of science and its disciplinary underpinnings. This stands particularly true for elementary teachers who are often less well prepared and equipped to teach science than their secondary counterparts. With this in mind, professional development programs such as Research Experience for Teachers (RET) have been considered to be one venue wherein teachers—elementary and secondary alike—can participate in science research through immersive and collaborative work with scientists over an extended period of time. While RET programs differ widely in their research focus, science discipline, time span, programmatic structure, and so forth, the goal of all RET programs is to support teachers in their understanding of science so that they may bring this learning back to their classroom, and in turn, influence their science teaching for the purpose of increased student learning. While RETs are largely recognized as productive experiences for teachers, there is little understood about the occurrences within RET that can make them lastingly impactful and important to teachers. The research presented in this dissertation begins to address this gap in the research by examining teachers’ participation in RET from the view of three distinct conceptual lenses: that of communities of practice, of epistemic affect, and of critical events, respectively. The first paper examines how K-12 teachers make sense of the discipline of science through the concept of ‘communities of practice’ and considers how teachers’ experiences of science research differ from those experiences of novice and practicing scientists entering the field. From interview data from RET participants, the findings are drawn upon to put forth a conceptual framework that can guide future research on the unique experiences of teachers through RET participation. The second paper aims to consider how elementary teachers’ participation within a science research community fosters their epistemic affect in ways that may shape and inform their instruction in future classroom practice. From interviews and in-depth observations, the paper considers the ways in which teachers in RET may experience emotions and feelings similar to scientists as they conduct research work and construct knowledge. The third and final paper in this collection draws on the lens of critical events to examine the experiences of one elementary teacher as she reflects on her own understanding of the discipline of science in light of specific events occurring during her RET participation. From interviews occurring more than three months after Ava’s participation in scientific research at RET, three events were identified as ‘critical’ because of their particular salience and import to her disciplinary understandings of science. The paper delineates shifts in the ways Ava came to view science, scientists, and the community of science as a result of her RET participation and considers the implications of what it means to take seriously the personally-relevant experiences of teachers as they participate in scientific research. All in all, this collection of research examines what teachers can gain from RET participation in ways that other research has not necessarily considered. Through the viewpoint of three distinct conceptual lenses, this work seeks to shed light on teachers’ experiences and learning within the discipline and community of science, and hopes to inform researchers, program designers, and other interested stakeholders in the science education community about the possibilities for teacher learning when teachers are provided opportunities to participate in science research. / A Dissertation submitted to the School of Teacher Education in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Spring Semester 2019. / March 27, 2019. / professional development, Research Experiences for Teachers, science education, science teacher learning, science teaching and learning / Includes bibliographical references. / Sherry A. Southerland, Professor Co-Directing Dissertation; Lama Z. Jaber, Professor Co-Directing Dissertation; Kristine C. Harper, University Representative; Roxanne M. Hughes, Committee Member; Ian Whitacre, Committee Member.

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The assessment of learning in school science is important to the students, educators, policy makers, and the general public. Changes in curriculum and instruction in science have led to greater emphasis upon alternative modes of assessment. Most significant of these newer approaches is “performance assessment”, where students manipulate materials in experimental situations. Only recently has the development of performance assessment procedures, and the appropriate strategies for interpreting their results, received substantial research attention. In this study, educational measurement and science education perspectives are synthesized into an integrated analysis of the validity of procedures, inferences and consequences arising from the use of performance assessment. The Student Performance Component of the 1991 B.C. Science Assessment is offered as an example. A framework for the design, implementation, and interpretation of hands-on assessment in school science is presented, with validity and feasibility considered at every stage. Particular attention is given to a discussion of the influence of construct labels upon assessment design. A model for the description of performance assessment tasks is proposed. This model has the advantage of including both the science content and the science skill demands for each task. The model is then expanded to show how simultaneous representation of multiple tasks enhances the ability to ensure adequate sampling from appropriate content domains. The main conclusion of this validation inquiry is that every aspect of performance assessment in science is influenced by the perspective towards learning in science that permeates the assessment, and that this influence must be considered at all times. Recommendations are made for those carrying out practical assessments, as well as suggestions of areas that invite further research.

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This study was conducted at the school where I teach which is a semi-rural secondary school (Grade 8-12) situated in Omuthiya Town in Oshikoto region, Namibia. The new curriculum that has been implemented in Namibia, has posed challenges in how best to put the curriculum into practice at this school. It was this challenge that triggered my interest in doing a research study with the aim of improving my practice. Essentially, the study sought to gain insight into whether integrating learners’ prior everyday knowledge and experiences of acids and bases in conjunction with practical activities using easily accessible materials enabled or constrained meaning-making of this topic. This study is located within an interpretive paradigm. Within this paradigm, a qualitative case study approach was adopted with my Grade 9 class. Data were gathered using document analysis, videotaped lessons and observations by a critical friend, stimulated recall discussions while watching the videotaped lessons as well as focus group interviews with the learners. An inductive analysis to discover patterns and themes was applied during the data analysis process. The themes were further turned into analytical statements. Data sets were also analysed in relation to the research questions posed by this study. The validation process was achieved by using a variety of data gathering techniques. I watched the videotaped lessons with a teacher who observed the lessons and transcripts of the interviews and a summary of discussions were given back to the respondents to verify their responses and check for any misinterpretations, a process known as member checking. I also translated what the learners said in Oshiwambo, their home language, into English. The findings from the study revealed that the use of learners’ prior everyday knowledge and experiences of acids and bases facilitated meaningful learning during teaching and learning. Furthermore, linking learning to learners’ everyday experiences enabled them to learn scientific concepts in a relaxed and non-threatening environment. However, linking learners’ prior knowledge and experiences to conventional science (textbook science) proved to be a challenge. My recommendations are that teachers need support in their endeavors to incorporate learners’ real life experiences into their teaching and learning repertoires. Another aspect of my study that deserves further research is the role that language plays in implementing the curriculum.

In this study I attempt to develop a rationale for the role of student writing in advancing learning in Zoology. To this end, I use the informed and insightful voices of five academics from the University of Cape Town's Department of Zoology to present a picture of the goals of the discipline, how they view the role that student writing plays in advan~ing these goals, a sense of the tensions they face in dealing with student diversity, and the promise and challenges of innovative approaches. My interest in how staff view student writing stems from a belief that staff make use of student writing in different ways, depending on their assumptions about writing. I explore these assumptions by means of interviews with members of staff, in which I ask about how they understand the pursuit of science, the qualities a scientist needs to develop, the best ways to develop these qualities in students, and the part that student writing plays in this development. What emerges in this study is the understanding that the kinds of writing we ask students to do reflect the forms of educational practice that we sustain. On the one hand, certain forms of writing may support forms of transmission pedagogy that are viewed as being at odds with progressive science education. On the other hand, if we are to develop alternative teaching approaches which are in keeping with contemporary views of science and learning, then we need to develop new genres of student writing that give expression to these goals and methods. The study concludes with suggested avenues into curriculum review that would operationalise the insights developed by this study.