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Examining student work for evidence of teacher uptake of educative curriculum materials
Author(s) -
Bismack Amber Schultz,
Arias Anna Maria,
Davis Elizabeth A.,
Palincsar Annemarie Sullivan
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
journal of research in science teaching
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.067
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1098-2736
pISSN - 0022-4308
DOI - 10.1002/tea.21220
Subject(s) - curriculum , work (physics) , mathematics education , pedagogy , psychology , quality (philosophy) , science education , teaching method , engineering , mechanical engineering , philosophy , epistemology
The purpose of this study was to identify evidence in student work of teachers' uptake of educative features in educative curriculum materials. These are features in curriculum materials designed with the specific intent of supporting teacher learning and enactment. This study was prompted by previous work on educative curriculum materials and the need to determine how teachers' use of educative curriculum materials can influence student learning. Student work from two fourth‐grade teachers' enactment of an electric circuits unit was analyzed for evidence of teachers' uptake of educative features, which included characteristics of quality for particular science practices. Findings from the student work revealed that the teachers used many of the supports in the educative curriculum materials, especially those that could be used directly with students. The student work also reflected characteristics of high‐quality science practices, which were only supported within the educative features. This study supports and extends other work related to how teachers' use of educative curriculum materials may influence student learning and has implications for supporting teachers' productive engagement in teaching that supports the integration of science content and scientific practices, as emphasized in current reform efforts. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 52: 816–846, 2015.