Thesis (Ph.D.)--Kent State University, 2005. / Advisors: Alicia R. Crowe, Shawn Fitzgerald. Keywords: teacher education; mobile computing; handheld computing; social studies education; attitudes. Includes survey instrument. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 102-128). Also available via the World Wide Web.

This exploratory investigation aimed to identify preservice science teachers' conceptions of the nature of science (NOS), and worldviews that represent their culturally dependent beliefs about the world, in the context of Taiwan. The interrelationships between the responses elicited from both the assessments of NOS understandings and worldviews were examined. Participants included 54 third-year students enrolled in the departments of science education and mathematics education at a teachers college. Their worldviews and NOS conceptions were tabulated by two questionnaires and 14 of them were purposefully selected to participate follow-up interviews. The woridview questionnaire contained five open-ended items, of which each examines one of the worldview domains in Kearney's model (1984). The NOS questionnaire consisting of nine open-ended questions was developed, specifically addressing cultural characteristics, to assess participants' views on the development of scientific knowledge. An anthropocentric-moderate continuum emerged to describe participants' views of the humanity's relationship with Nature. It was found that participants with informed NOS conceptions were more likely to emphasize harmony with Nature, recognize the limitations of scientific knowledge, and accept the idea that science involves subjective and cultural components. On the other hand, participants who provided a pragmatic perspective of Nature seemed to possess narrow views about the scientific enterprises by describing science as close to technology and as a materialistic benefit. Authoritarianism was also a noticeable cultural trait hindering some participants from reflecting on the values inherent to the development of scientific knowledge, and also prohibiting them from searching empirical evidence to solve problems. It was found that there were differences between science education and mathematics education majors in their worldviews and NOS understandings. The results in this study not only depict a group of nonwestern preservice teachers' woridviews, but also reveal the interplay between their sociocultural beliefs and NOS conceptions. People with different worldviews may have differing views about science. The study calls for the consideration of incorporating sociocultural perspectives in science instruction and the need for introducing contemporary conceptions of the NOS to science learners. / Graduation date: 2003

The purpose of this study was to investigate the possible relationships between pre-service science teachers&#039 / understanding of nature of science (NOS) and their personal characteristics / understanding of nature of scientific inquiry (NOSI), epistemological world views, self-efficacy beliefs regarding science teaching, attitudes towards science teaching, metacognitive awareness level and faith/worldview schemas. The sample of the present study were 60 PSTs that are 3rd year students at elementary science education department at a public university in the Marmara region. The sample was chosen by using purposive sampling from the PSTs enrolled in the &quot / Nature of Science and History of Science&quot / course. Using a descriptive and associational case study design PSTs&rsquo / understandings of NOS, understanding of NOSI, epistemological world views, metacognitive awareness levels, self-efficacy beliefs, attitudes toward science teaching, and faith/worldviews were determined through different questionnaires and the associations between variables were investigated. Qualitative and quantitative questionnaires were analyzed and statistical analyses were conducted to see whether there is an association between PSTs&#039 / level of understanding of NOS and their personal characteristics. The results of the study revealed that PSTs understanding of NOS and NOSI were highly related. Similarly, self-efficacy beliefs regarding science teaching, metacognitive awareness levels and faith/worldviews of the PSTs were found to be significantly related to understanding of NOS. On the other hand, there were not any significant associations between PSTs&#039 / epistemological world views, attitudes towards science teaching and understanding of NOS.

Concerns about turnover of highly qualified science teachers have pervaded education stakeholder discussions for several years. Yet little is known about where are we in retaining high science teachers in Texas public schools. The three empirical studies included in this dissertation used mixed research methods to explore data collected by the Policy Research Initiative in Science Education (PRISE) Research Group during the 2007-2010 school years. The first study examined mobility patterns and hiring patterns of high school science teachers after two school years. I used descriptive statistical analyses to investigate relationships between teacher-level variables (i.e., teacher type, age, ethnicity, and gender) and school-level variables (i.e., school size and minority student enrollment proportion) with respect to movement out and into Texas schools. Findings revealed variations in mobility patterns of science teachers, based on size and minority student enrollment proportion of the schools in which they worked. Hiring patterns revealed that schools typically hired young, novice White female teachers regardless of school size or minority student enrollment proportion. The second study explored the relationships between schools’ retention strategies and retention challenges with schools’ science teacher retention rates, respectively. I used multiple regression and descriptive statistical analyses to investigate the relationships between study variables. While regression models predicting science teacher retention were not remarkable, descriptive statistical analyses revealed notable relationships between several school-level variables and school retention status. The third study investigated relationships among three variables: school retention strategies, science teacher job satisfaction, and science teacher mobility. Multilevel analyses were used to investigate relationships between two-level variables. Findings revealed no relationships of significance between school retention strategies or teacher job satisfaction with teacher mobility. However, interactions between predictor variables indicated that satisfied science teachers were more likely to remain at schools that expressed and showed appreciation for teachers than to leave the profession. Findings from these studies were used to make state-, district-, and school-level policy recommendations for high school science teachers that included: (a) tailoring recruitment and retention supports to meet the needs of underrepresented teacher populations leading science classrooms, (b) recognizing schools that successfully retain science teachers, and (c) providing professional development for high school principals to assist with the design of strategic plans to improve job satisfaction and retention of teachers.

Texas public high schools induct beginning science teachers each year; yet, little is known about how schools induct beginning teachers. The three studies included in this dissertation use a mixed methods approach to explore data collected by the Policy Research Initiative in Science Education (PRISE) Research Group during the 2007-2008 academic year. The first study focused on principals' perceptions of teacher induction. A content analysis of interviews collected from 50 principals examined principals' perceptions of teacher induction. Analyses indicated that high school principals had an overwhelmingly narrow focus of mentoring and provided mentor teachers with little support or training. Findings indicated that induction activities for beginning teachers were front-loaded before the school year began and were left in the hands of unprepared mentors during the school year. Further analyses indicated that the primary purpose of mentoring and induction for beginning teachers in Texas high schools revolved around orientation to campus policies and procedures. Beginning teachers' instructional needs appeared to be an afterthought. The second study explored beginning high school science teachers' evaluations of their induction experiences. Beginning teachers identified the best school-level induction supports received and recommended improvements for school-level induction. Teachers identified mentoring as one of the best received supports, yet also made recommendations for more structure in the mentoring experience. A comparison of beginning teachers' responses with teacher turnover found that: (a) Stayers (i.e., teachers retained at a campus) were most likely to report that they received induction support from other science teachers; (b) Movers (i.e., teachers who transferred to another campus) less frequently reported working conditions as a positive induction support; and (c) Leavers, (i.e., teachers not retained in the profession) most frequently did not identify induction support from the school. The final study compared principals' perceptions of induction and beginning teacher Movers and Leavers' evaluations of their induction experiences. Findings from this study indicated that principals were aware of induction components that were considered helpful by both Movers and Leavers. However, principals did not acknowledge what Movers and Leavers recommended for improvements to current induction practices. The final chapter provides a summary of all three studies. Recommendations are made for improving induction practices for high school science teachers. In particular, high school principals should discard their current "hands-off" approach to teacher induction and become more active in their induction experiences. Additionally, types of induction practices should increase to include more than mentoring. Moreover, policy makers should reform mentoring policies so that current practices, which have a narrow focus on school policies and procedures, are abandoned.

This study aims to investigate pre-service elementary science teacher&rsquo / s scientific literacy level and their attitudes towards science. In addition, whether pre-service elementary science teacher&rsquo / s scientific literacy and their attitudes towards science differs in some demographic variables such as gender, high school profile, grade, place of family residence, parents educational level and family income level were examined. Finally, possible relationship between participants&rsquo / scientific literacy level and their attitudes towards science was explored. The present study conducted with 285 pre-service elementary science teachers from Elementary Science Education Program at Dokuz Eyl&uuml / l University during the second semester of 2008-2009 academic year. The data were collected by administering v Turkish version of Test of Basic Scientific Literacy (TBSL) and SAI-II (Science Attitude Inventory) scales. Analysis of the data indicated that pre-service elementary science teachers have satisfactory scientific literacy level and moderately positive attitudes towards science. Moreover, participants&rsquo / scientific literacy level and attitudes towards science showed differences in only some demographic variables: gender and place of family residence. Finally, the analysis also indicated that there is a positive significant relationship between participants&rsquo / scientific literacy level and their attitudes towards science.

The focus of this research is to investigate teacher turnover in the form of attrition and migration of secondary science teachers in the state of Texas. This study is to fill the gap in the research pertaining to the relationship of teacher migration and attrition to secondary science teacher qualifications and school characteristics in order to assist stakeholders in developing more effective policies and programs aimed at providing all students with a qualified science educator. The objectives of this study were to 1) determine whether Texas secondary science teachers are migrating and if so, identify schools the teachers are migrating from and to, and 2) determine characteristics of the teachers who migrate or leave teaching by discipline taught, route of certification, years of service and in-field and out-of-field status. This study utilized quantitative research methods, specifically, descriptive statistics displayed as percentages and trends indicated by a novel data representation using vectors. The data used in the study were extracted from the Public Education Information Management Systems (PEIMS) data from the Texas Education Agency and the teacher certification records from the State Board for Educator Certification from 1995 - 2008. After the quantitative results and vector plots were analyzed, the results revealed that a fifth of Texas secondary science teachers are migrating between schools each year. Texas secondary science teachers of lower socio-economical status schools migrated to higher SES schools, while teachers of the highest socio-economical status schools migrated to a lower SES school. Other findings include a high percentage of incoming Texas secondary science teachers are not certified or alternatively certified. The analysis of the Texas secondary teachers showed which teachers are leaving or migrating from certain schools. It can help districts and policy makers to have equity in schools with quality teachers. Since the study used individual teacher and school data, the results can provide valuable information to school leaders, school district leaders, and policy makers at the local and state level as decisions are made regarding the implementation of policies and administrative actions intended to increase teacher retention. / text

Understanding nature of science (NOS) is an important learning objective of the science curricula in many countries. However, research shows that there is a large gap between the curriculum emphasis and classroom practice. There have been calls for more studies on how teachers can be better prepared for teaching NOS. This study examines what teachers have learned, how they have learned it and the factors affecting their learning in a teacher professional development (TPD) programme to prepare them to teach NOS. The study was conducted in 2008-10, when the new Hong Kong Senior Secondary Biology curriculum, with its emphasis on NOS, was introduced. Three of the 18 teachers participating in the programme were chosen for in-depth case studies to illuminate their process of learning to teach NOS. Over a 20-month period, the teachers worked collaboratively to learn how to teach NOS in study group settings. Initially, the teachers were given curriculum materials designed for the explicit and reflective teaching of NOS. They selected, adapted and refined the curriculum materials to suit their own students. They then taught NOS to their students using the modified curriculum materials in their classroom, and the lessons were videotaped. These videos were later shared and analyzed collaboratively in study group meetings and workshops. To monitor their learning, the teachers were asked to complete reflection tasks and follow-up interviews after participating in each of the TPD activities, including the trial teaching of NOS in their own classroom, reflecting on the lesson, reflecting on the lesson video, and discussing the lesson video with their peers. Using an interpretive approach, other data sources, including field notes from classroom observations, transcripts of teacher discussions in meetings and workshops, and interviews with individual teachers before and after the programme on their confidence and concerns about NOS teaching, were also collected for triangulation purposes, and for the production of individual case reports for each teacher. It was found that the teachers had improved their NOS knowledge, NOS teaching skills, confidence as well as intention to teach NOS after participating in the programme. The process of learning to teach NOS can be characterized as lengthy, recursive and closely embedded in authentic classroom practices. Four major factors related to the TPD programme were identified as contributory to teachers’ learning to teach NOS. They are: (1) the formation of a community of practice with a shared goal to improve NOS teaching, (2) the provision of educative curriculum resources for explicit and reflective teaching of NOS, (3) first-hand experience of teaching NOS in authentic classroom settings, and (4) video-based discussions on NOS teaching in meetings and workshops. Based on the findings, an emergent model of effective use of video for learning to teach NOS was also proposed. The implications of the findings on the design of effective TPD programmes for learning to teach NOS were discussed. / published_or_final_version / Education / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

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