Session Information
Contribution
Research has identified a variety of strategies that teachers claim they use in the classroom. However, knowledge about factors that may influence their preferences of using these strategies is scarce. Teacher orientation and the sources of forming it have been related to teacher practices, and these two phenomena could be expected to influence teachers' decision concerning using strategies on the classroom. Therefore, it was important to explore the nature of science teacher orientation and the sources that shape this orientation and how we can help these teachers to change their traditional teaching orientation or to enact the progressive science teaching orientation.Research Questions This study of science teaching orientations focuses on the following two research questions1. What are the science teaching orientations held by science teachers? 2. What are the teachers' observed practices in the classroom? How do they align with their teaching orientation?3. What are the sources of the science teaching orientations held science teachers? 4. What are the factors that influence teachers' preferences instructional activities? An explanatory mixed method research design combining quantitative and qualitative data was used to (a) understand participants' instructional preferences and their science teaching orientation, (b) explain the potential relationship between science teaching orientation and instructional preferences, and (c) explore potential contributing factors for constructivist or traditional science teaching orientation and instructional preferences. The purpose of the mixed method design was to merge both qualitative and quantitative data and use each data collection method to cancel out the weakness of the other data collection method. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to explore the science teaching orientations using an inductive approach, allowing categories to emerge from data collected from the participants. Random selection of teachers participating in this study followed their stratification into two groups based on their science teaching orientations to reading instruction, as demonstrated by their scores on science teacher teaching orientation questionnaire (STTO). The groups were: Teachers with traditional orientations, and teachers with constructivist orientations.Multiple data sources were used in this study. Science teachers' teaching orientations were measured by STTO and semi structured interviews. The teachers' practices were established through classroom observations with the aid of a Teacher Practices Observation Record (TPOR) and field notes from classroom observations. The findings of the study indicated that Science teachers have a low degree of orientation toward constructivist -based science instructions and most of the teachers oriented toward traditional-based science instructions. Furthermore, quantitative results also indicated that teachers' views about teaching /learning science (students' interests, students' needs, students' roles, and teachers' roles) accounted for teachers' orientation toward either constructivist-based instruction or orientation toward traditional-based instruction. Furthermore, some external constraints (for example; time constraints, overloaded Curriculum, overcrowded classrooms, and difficulty in large-group management might explain these classroom teachers' low degree of orientation toward constructivist- based science. Moreover, learners and learning were major sources of their teaching orientations. Also, In this study, a connection was seen between the participants' teaching orientations and their choice of instructional activity activities. Calderhead, J. (1996). Teachers: Beliefs and knowledge. In D. Berliner & R. Calfee (Eds.), Handbook of educational psychology, (pp. 708-725). New York: Macmillan. Cornbleth, C. (2001). 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Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 36 (3), 333-355.Volkmann, M., Abell, S. & Zgagaxz, M. (2005). The challenges of teaching physics to preservice elementary teachers: orientations of the professor, teaching assistant, and students. Science Education, 36 (3), 847-869. 1. SAGE Publications, 2. European Journal of Teacher Education, or 3. Journal of Science Teacher Education, or 4. Journal of Teacher Education, or 5. Teaching and Teacher Education, or 6. International Journal of Science Education, or 7. Research in Science Education, or 8. Science Education.
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