In the context of a weeklong summer professional development program focused on climate change education, we conducted a qualitative case study investigating how science educators' understandings of learning progressions (LPs) informed their ideas about climate change teaching practice. Participants (N = 27) in the Climate Academy were middle…

In case studies of two first-year elementary classroom teachers, we explored the influence of informal science education (ISE) they experienced in their teacher education program. Our theoretical lens was identity development, delimited to classroom science teaching. We used complementary data collection methods and analysis, including interviews,…

We investigated the inclusion of a curricular module on global climate change in an Elementary Science Methods course. Using complementary research methods, we analyzed findings from 63 teacher candidates' drawings, questionnaires, and journal entries collected throughout their participation in the module. We highlighted three focal cases to…

We report the results of survey research that collected responses of an identical sample (31 beginning mathematics and science teachers, elementary and middle school level) that graduated from a reform-based mathematics and science teacher preparation program, the Maryland Collaborative for Teacher Preparation (MCTP). We compared responses of the…

Discusses the use of four strategies in a science methods class that demonstrate how to use diversity to improve middle school science instruction. The strategies include sharing teacher/learner backgrounds to promote the notion of a class community, using case study, using multicultural scenarios, and using case study combined with video…