We have followed a group of students in the potential pipeline for science through their last years of upper secondary school and in the context of a university mentorship program. The student group is defined by their choice of Mathematics at A-level which is mandatory for admission to tertiary STEM education in Denmark. Rich data (repeated…

This study focuses on the mentor relationships between science teachers and their scientist mentors in a summer Research Experience for Teachers program at a United States national laboratory facility. Using mixed methods, the authors surveyed and interviewed (semi-structured) the eleven participating teachers before and after the program. The…

Practical knowledge and skills are necessary components of expertise. Practical training in higher education has been shown to foster students' learning and understanding of theoretical backgrounds. The attitude and skill of mentors play a central role in enhancing the quality of students' practical learning. The aims of this study were to explore…

Explores different ways individuals conceptualize quality learning in physics. Uses semi-structured interviews that explore aspects of learning that respondents regard as worth fostering in their classrooms. Discusses different respondent conceptions with regard to four significant aspects of physics learning: doing experimental work; linking…

Describes the conceptions of (n=8) preservice teachers about how they would recognize a "good" teacher of elementary science and the people and experiences they believed influenced the formation of these views. (Author/MKR)

Explores the relationship between a teacher educator's explicit modeling of reflection on practice and (n=9) student teachers' developing use of reflection on practice. (Author/MKR)

Reports perceptions of (n=207) first-year physics students about how they should learn physics, what is intended they should learn, and what they believe to be the functions of the various teaching situations in which they are placed. Appendix includes questionnaire. (Author/MKR)

Describes and compares physics students' understanding of concepts associated with electric and magnetic fields using interviews and written tests. Provides insights into a more detailed view of students' understanding of fields using the theoretical framework of the Structure of the Observed Learning Outcome Taxonomy. (Author/MKR)