This qualitative study explores the lived experiences of preservice elementary teachers (PSETs) in a teacher preparation course and the factors that informed their science teacher identity. The theoretical framework used was phenomenology, and the study addresses under researched undergraduate preservice elementary teachers within teacher preparation courses with no teaching experience. Methods included participant survey, semi structured interviews, and a card sort activity. Analysis was conducted with basic statistical methods for the quantitative data, and coding followed by creating themes for the qualitative data. Findings reveal that the responses (n=28) to an open question survey report 21 PSETs did not identify as science teachers. Further analysis of rich verbal discourse revealed how social markers of participants, through the lens of their positionality, shaped their science teacher identity. This study explored the unconscienced day-to-day events of the participants. Reflective discourse was applied to reveal how sociocultural worlds informed science teacher identity. Reflecting on the science teacher identity phenomenon, one implication of the work is that increasing science content knowledge may not be the only factor that informs professional identity amongst the PSETs. Exploring science teacher identity in teacher preparation courses could increase awareness on how positionality informs professional identities. Studies with more participants are needed as well as future longitudinal studies to determine if science teacher identity informs the quality of science teaching in the K – 5 elementary science classrooms post graduation
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ucf.edu/oai:stars.library.ucf.edu:etd2020-2845 |
| Date | 15 August 2023 |
| Creators | Cruz-Deiter, Katherine |
| Publisher | STARS |
| Source Sets | University of Central Florida |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020- |
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