Preservice Teachers' Pedagogical Content Knowledge Outcomes Associated with a K-12 Dinosaur Learning Progression

Abstract

Curriculum developments guiding science in schools have evolved from textbook-based teaching to integrated content approaches focusing on the nature of science. The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) reflect a reformed and authentic science pedagogy in the most innovative manner for any curriculum guide to date. Learning progressions (LPs) are a current innovation changing science education that support NGSS goals. LPs provide a guide for aligning mastery of science concepts over time and integrate topics between different concentrations of science. The preparation of science teachers has relied heavily upon traditional science courses at the collegiate level. Conventionally, preservice teachers develop pedagogical practices through education coursework and field placements in K-12 schools. To fully ensure the development of scientific literate teachers, preservice science teacher education needs to focus on pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). Preservice teachers need to be able to teach beyond the explicitly stated examples provided in curriculum frameworks and meet the interests of their future students. In this three-article dissertation, I explored the development and use of a LP in preservice teacher education. In the first article, I outlined a new methodology for creating valid LPs by utilizing expert interviews and documents for triangulation. The LP I built used dinosaurs, the number one science interest of students entering school, as the thematic vehicle for delivery of Earth and life science concepts. In the second and third articles, I targeted the developed dinosaur LP as an intervention for meeting the needs of enhancing preservice teacher PCK. In the second article, I used concepts maps to measure the conceptual knowledge gains of preservice teachers. The third article reported results of preservice teachers’ pedagogy transformations in the form of 5E lesson plans. Results suggested LPs can increase preservice teacher PCK in targeted conceptual areas and pedagogy, as reflected in concept maps and lesson plans. Significant differences existed between individual and group-developed concept maps, indicating distributed cognition may increase PCK development. Examination of pre- and postintervention lesson plans revealed significant gains in pedagogical methods for the overall construction and subcomponents of lesson plans. These results supported the use of LPs as interventions impacting preservice teacher PCK.