Paper Presentation at AERA in Washington, DC (Hunter, Salinas, and Petrosino, 2016)

The American Educational Research Association (AERA), a national research society, strives to advance knowledge about education, to encourage scholarly inquiry related to education, and to promote the use of research to improve education and serve the public good. The American Educational Research Association (AERA), founded in 1916, is concerned with improving the educational process by encouraging scholarly inquiry related to education and evaluation and by promoting the dissemination and practical application of research results.  AERA's more than 25,000 members are faculty, researchers, graduate students, and other distinguished professionals with rich and diverse expertise in education research. They work in a range of settings from universities and other academic institutions to research institutes, federal and state agencies, school systems, testing companies, and nonprofit organizations. Based on their research, they produce and disseminate knowledge, refine methods and measures, and stimulate translation and practical application of research results. 

The following abstract explains the research I have conducted along with my former doctoral student and will be presented at the AERA conference in Washington DC later this week. -Dr. Petrosino 

Do Preservice Science Teachers Develop Goals Reflective of Teacher Education?

An Exploratory Study

Todd L. Hutner*

Cinthia S. Salinas

Anthony J. Petrosino

Abstract

One broad research question researchers continue to pursue is: what do preservice science teachers learn during science teacher education? Different models of cognition suggest different foci for this research, including pedagogical learning and belief change. Goal-driven models suggest that an important learning outcome is for preservice science teachers to develop goals reflective of their pedagogical training. We present the results of a study designed to examine the degree to which preservice science teachers develop goals reflective of their teacher education training. Qualitative methods were used to study the goals of four science student teachers from a STEM teacher education program at Big State University, a large state university in a southwestern state. Interviews were conducted at the beginning and the end of the student teaching semester, with student portfolio submissions providing evidence for triangulation. Three main findings emerge from this study. First, preservice teachers adopt goals reflective of many, but not all, of the pedagogical strategies emphasized in teacher education. Second, the goals of student teacher remain in flux over the course of the semester, with students tending to disengage from goals during this time. Finally, conflict may arise between pedagogical goals, with student teachers resolving these conflicts in ways that are both research-based and less then idea. Finally, we present implications for teacher educators and those who conduct research on STEM teacher education.

Hunter, T. L., Salinas, C. S., and Petrosino, A. J. (2016, April). Do preservice science teachers develop goals reflective of teacher education? An exploratory study. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Washington, DC.