Title: The emergence of science teacher leadership in the context of the pursuit of teaching science for social justice
As a result of more recent events connected to the ongoing and lasting legacy of systemic racism in our society and the sparsity of research focused on both disciplinary teacher leadership (TL) and centering social justice and equity in teacher leadership literature reviews, this research investigated the ways in which science teacher leadership (STL) emerged in the context of a science department engaged in a year‐long professional learning experience aimed at teaching science for social justice. Drawing on a community of practice teacher leadership identity model as a theoretical framework and qualitative research methods, we sought to characterize STL that centered social justice. Written teacher reflections, semi‐structured interviews, and science lessons were collected from the six female science teachers and a female school administrator. The research revealed how STL supportive of teaching science for social justice was grounded in, among other characterizations of teacher leadership, competences like content and pedagogical knowledge, performances like inclusiveness and lesson design, and support from the structure of the year‐long professional learning, and engagement in a community of practice. This research provides insights into the complex characterization and emergence of STL. more »« less
Reeder, Andrea; Rushton, Gregory T
(, International Journal of Teacher Leadership)
Wenner, Julianne
(Ed.)
This qualitative study investigates the development of science teacher leaders during and after professional development. It examines the impactful experiences during a teacher leadership program that allowed them to explore their leadership identity and how this identity manifests in their schools’ post-program. The participants are 14 chemistry and physics teacher leaders from schools in the Southeastern U.S. who attended a five-year Noyce teacher leadership program. They are emergent leaders who entered the program with limited leadership exposure or expertise. Social learning theory provides the lens to examine during and post-program interviews with science teacher leaders. Three themes emerge from the interviews: 1) Redefining leadership, 2) Responsibility for others, and 3) Collaborative community that developed the science teacher leadership identity during and after the program. The findings from this study have theoretical and practical implications for teacher leaders, schools, and leadership development programs.
Abstract BackgroundTeacher turnover is a dire and chronic problem for many education systems across the globe. According to UNESCO, 70% of teachers will be replaced by 2030. This study investigates the relationship between the retention of science and mathematics teachers and factors related to human, social, structural, and positive psychological capital—a four-capital teacher retention model. More specifically, this study explores how teaching self-efficacy, leadership engagement, teacher-school fit, diversity beliefs, community connections, and professional social network characteristics (e.g., size, bridging, proximity, reach) relate to teacher retention. Additionally, potential differences in retention and the aforementioned factors related to the four-capital model between Master Teaching Fellows (MTFs) and their peers (non-MTFs) with similar human capital (demographics and experience) are explored in this study. Participants were K-12 science and mathematics teachers (85 MTFs and 82 non-MTFs) from six different regions across the U.S. MTFs participated in one of seven long-term (5–6 years) Robert Noyce Master Teaching Fellowship Programs funded by the National Science Foundation. ResultsLeadership engagement was positively associated with shifting (from teaching to a formal leadership position). Teacher-school fit was negatively associated with leaving. For secondary teachers, teaching self-efficacy was positively associated with shifting to a leadership position. Leadership network size, bridging, and geographic proximity variables were positively related to shifting when compared to staying as classroom teachers. Teaching network bridging and leadership network bridging were positively related to leavers when compared to stayers. MTF shifters were likely to shift earlier in their careers than non-MTFs. Lastly, MTFs had higher self-efficacy, geographically larger teaching networks and leadership networks, and more contacts and bridging roles in their leadership networks than non-MTFs. ConclusionFindings provide support for teacher leadership programs in promoting leadership roles and responsibilities for STEM teachers and retaining teachers in STEM education either in the classroom or in administrative roles. These findings suggest that school administrators may also play a key role in encouraging teachers to engage in leadership activities and have a broader impact on public education by, for example, adopting a hybrid model of leadership roles that involves classroom teaching.
Childs, Joshua; Zarch, Rebecca; Torbey, Ryan; Fletcher, Carol
(, Research in Equity and Sustained Participation in Engineering, Computing, and Technology (RESPECT))
null
(Ed.)
Research literature has documented how computer science (CS) teachers are often isolated in their schools and are less likely to collaborate as compared to other subject area teachers. This parallels an emerging body of literature around how teachers leverage professional development opportunities to engage in their practice. However, limited research has empirically studied how professional development opportunities lead to increases in teacher empowerment and spur broadening participation in CS efforts. In this study, we report on a networked improvement community (NIC) focused on connecting CS teachers to their peers, national experts, professional development providers, and researchers to impact teaching practices and guide implementation of policies that lead to increased female participation in CS courses. We report on the role of the NIC to support teachers as school and community change agents. Drawing from focus groups with participating teachers (n=20), we report on a two-year process of learning that involved identifying root causes for female underrepresentation and conducting teacher-led interventions within their classrooms and schools. We detail how a NIC offers a novel approach to facilitate collaboration and empower teachers to implement changes that can impact girls in computer science. Initial data indicate that the collaborative nature of the NIC and its teacher-directed approach to change led to a newfound sense of ownership and empowerment in NIC teachers for addressing the challenge of increasing female participation in CS.
Bradford, Allison; Gerard, Libby; Tate, Erika; Li, Rui; Linn, Marcia C.
(, Science Education)
Abstract To promote a justice‐oriented approach to science education, we formed a research‐practice partnership between middle school science teachers, their students, curriculum designers, learning scientists, and experts in social justice to co‐design and test an environmental justice unit for middle school instruction. We examine teacher perspectives on the challenges and possibilities of integrating social justice into their standards‐aligned science teaching as they participate in co‐design and teach the unit. The unit supports students to investigate racially disparate rates of asthma in their community by examining pollution maps and historical redlining maps. We analyze interviews and co‐design artifacts from two teachers who participated in the co‐design and taught the unit in their classrooms. Our findings point to the benefits of a shared pedagogical framework and an initial unit featuring local historical content to structure co‐design. Findings also reveal that teachers can share similar goals for empowering students to use science knowledge for civic action while framing the local socio‐political factors contributing to the injustice differently, due in part to different institutional supports and constraints. Student interviews and a pre/postassessment illustrate how the unit facilitated students' progress in connecting socio‐political and science ideas to explain the impacts of particulate matter pollution and who is impacted most. Analyses illuminate how teachers' pedagogical choices may influence whether and how students discuss the impact of systemic racism in their explanations. The findings inform refinement of the unit and suggest supports needed for co‐design partnerships focused on integrating social justice and science.
Ekmekci, A; Aqazade, M; Papakonstantinou, A; Orcan, B; Catanese, J; Callard, C; Cerosaletti, C; Daley, M; Rushton, G; Reid, J; et al
(, Proceedings of 2022 Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference)
Langran, E
(Ed.)
Teacher turnover in science and mathematics is a significant and consistent challenge for K-12 education in the U.S. This paper provides: (a) an investigation of the relationship between teacher retention and several social and motivational factors; and (b) a comparison of Master Teaching Fellows (MTF) and non-MTF teachers in terms of their retention and social and motivational factors. Teachers are classified into three retention categories: (a) stayers, (b) shifters, and (c) leavers. Social and motivational factors included teaching self-efficacy, diversity dispositions, leadership skills, principal autonomy support, teacher-school fit (adapted from person-organization fit literature), and social networks related to teaching and education. Study 1 included about 250 science and math teachers from the gulf coast region of Texas. Study 2 included 167 science and math teachers across the country. Teachers completed a survey in the summer and fall of 2021. For study 1, multinomial logistics regression analyses indicate: (a) leavers have significantly higher levels of self-efficacy; and (b) shifters have significantly higher levels of leadership skills and lower levels of teacher-school fit. The second study findings indicate: (a) MTFs’ teacher leadership network and teaching self-efficacy are significantly greater than that of non-MTFs’; and (b) MTFs significantly tend to shift to a leadership position than non-MTFs do.
Lisy, Emily, Campbell, Todd, and Park, Byung‐Yeol. The emergence of science teacher leadership in the context of the pursuit of teaching science for social justice. Retrieved from https://par.nsf.gov/biblio/10521615. School Science and Mathematics . Web. doi:10.1111/ssm.12662.
Lisy, Emily, Campbell, Todd, & Park, Byung‐Yeol. The emergence of science teacher leadership in the context of the pursuit of teaching science for social justice. School Science and Mathematics, (). Retrieved from https://par.nsf.gov/biblio/10521615. https://doi.org/10.1111/ssm.12662
Lisy, Emily, Campbell, Todd, and Park, Byung‐Yeol.
"The emergence of science teacher leadership in the context of the pursuit of teaching science for social justice". School Science and Mathematics (). Country unknown/Code not available: School Science and Mathematics. https://doi.org/10.1111/ssm.12662.https://par.nsf.gov/biblio/10521615.
@article{osti_10521615,
place = {Country unknown/Code not available},
title = {The emergence of science teacher leadership in the context of the pursuit of teaching science for social justice},
url = {https://par.nsf.gov/biblio/10521615},
DOI = {10.1111/ssm.12662},
abstractNote = {As a result of more recent events connected to the ongoing and lasting legacy of systemic racism in our society and the sparsity of research focused on both disciplinary teacher leadership (TL) and centering social justice and equity in teacher leadership literature reviews, this research investigated the ways in which science teacher leadership (STL) emerged in the context of a science department engaged in a year‐long professional learning experience aimed at teaching science for social justice. Drawing on a community of practice teacher leadership identity model as a theoretical framework and qualitative research methods, we sought to characterize STL that centered social justice. Written teacher reflections, semi‐structured interviews, and science lessons were collected from the six female science teachers and a female school administrator. The research revealed how STL supportive of teaching science for social justice was grounded in, among other characterizations of teacher leadership, competences like content and pedagogical knowledge, performances like inclusiveness and lesson design, and support from the structure of the year‐long professional learning, and engagement in a community of practice. This research provides insights into the complex characterization and emergence of STL.},
journal = {School Science and Mathematics},
publisher = {School Science and Mathematics},
author = {Lisy, Emily and Campbell, Todd and Park, Byung‐Yeol},
}
Warning: Leaving National Science Foundation Website
You are now leaving the National Science Foundation website to go to a non-government website.
Website:
NSF takes no responsibility for and exercises no control over the views expressed or the accuracy of
the information contained on this site. Also be aware that NSF's privacy policy does not apply to this site.