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Science Teacher Preparation in an Era of Standards-Based Reform SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS VISION 1: All postsecondary science faculty will recognize their role as science teacher educators. In order to achieve this vision, we recommend that the National Science Foundation support programs aimed at heightening science faculty members’ awareness of their responsibility to educate prospective science teachers VISION 2: All science faculty members will structure the content, pedagogy, and assessment strategies in science courses, especially in the lower division, to optimize student learning, thereby providing future teachers with the knowledge, understanding, and skills necessary to teach in accordance with the Standards. In order to achieve this vision, we recommend that the National Science Foundation consider ways to encourage science faculty to modify their courses and curricula to provide in-depth understanding of carefully selected topics, and to include the range of content that the Standards advocate for K-12 students. place higher priority on faculty development programs aimed at enhancing pedagogical skills of undergraduate science and education faculty members, so that they can model the variety of pedagogical and assessment approaches that promote learning, and that prospective teachers will be expected to use in K-12 teaching. support programs to help science and education faculty introduce information technology into their courses. VISION 3: All science teacher educators will consider issues of teacher preparation program and curriculum design in light of the Standards. In order to achieve this vision we recommend that the National Science Foundation enhance opportunities for science teacher educators to examine and contribute to the design of science teacher preparation programs and curricula in the context of their institution’s mission and resources. place high priority on initiatives which enable science teacher educators to improve the articulation between methods, field placements, and science courses for prospective teachers. VISION 4: All science teacher educators will have ready access to information about teacher preparation programs, curricula and courses nationwide.
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Science Teacher Preparation in an Era of Standards-Based Reform In order to achieve this vision, we recommend that the National Science Foundation support a compilation and synthesis of existing courses, curricula, and programs in science teacher preparation, and disseminate this information widely (such as on the World Wide Web) to faculty interested in science teacher preparation. identify existing models of teacher preparation in settings that are underserved by traditional programs, and disseminate this to institutions considering similar programs. VISION 5: All postsecondary institutions that prepare teachers will develop and implement mechanisms that encourage collaboration among departments, among postsecondary institutions, and among postsecondary institutions and K-12 schools. In order to achieve this recommendation we recommend that the National Science Foundation place high priority on multi-year projects that require participation of multiple stakeholders. support short-term development grants to initiate collaboration. encourage further discussion about the implications of K-12 science education reform documents for science teacher preparation. VISION 6: Science teacher preparation programs of high quality will attract and retain students of high quality from diverse backgrounds. In order to achieve this vision we recommend that the National Science Foundation help institutions identify ways to attract and retain qualified prospective teachers, especially from underrepresented groups. develop, in partnership with higher education institutions, induction programs for new teachers in settings that are underserved by traditional programs. VISION 7: All science teacher educators will have access to a body of research about the effectiveness of various models for teacher preparation, will draw on that research to improve existing science teacher preparation programs, and will contribute to that body of knowledge as part of teacher preparation program design. In order to achieve this vision we recommend that the National Science Foundation collaborate with other federal agencies and private funders to promote additional research about the effectiveness of various models of science teacher preparation. collaborate with other federal agencies and private funders to promote additional research on effective curricula for science teacher preparation. disseminate these research findings as widely as possible, so that they will drive future improvements in the science teacher preparation process.
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