Tag Archives: elementary teachers

Article published in Science Education

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A new paper was published in the March issue of Science Education.

Zangori, L. & Forbes, C.T. (2013). Preservice elementary teachers and explanation construction: Knowledge-for-practice and knowledge-in-practice. Science Education, 97(2), 310-330.

This research are part of a larger study of preservice elementary teachers’ learning to use science curriculum materials to teach science as inquiry (Biggers & Forbes, 2012; Forbes, 2013; 2011; Forbes & Davis, 2010). The findings presented in this article build upon these previous studies to illustrate how preservice elementary teachers both conceptualize and learn to support students’ explanation-construction in elementary classrooms.

Article published in Journal of Science Teacher Education

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A paper was just published in the February issue of the Journal of Science Teacher Education. The mixed-methods study highlights the importance of teacher-level factors in preservice elementary teachers‘ adaptation of elementary science curriculum materials, particularly their field placement settings.

Forbes, C.T. (2013). Curriculum-dependent and curriculum-independent factors in preservice elementary teachers’ adaptation of science curriculum materials for inquiry-based science. Journal of Science Teacher Education (24)1, 179-197.

The results presented in the article are part of a larger study of preservice elementary teachers’ learning to use science curriculum materials to teach science as inquiry. This work informs our present work on the PIESC3, RAES, and MoHSES projects.

Article published in the International Journal of Science Education

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A new paper was published in the October issue of the International Journal of Science Education.

Biggers, M. & Forbes, C.T. (2012). Balancing teacher and student roles in elementary classrooms: Preservice elementary teachers’ ideas about the inquiry continuum. International Journal of Science Education, 34(14), 2205-2229.

This research are part of a larger study of preservice elementary teachers’ learning to use science curriculum materials to teach science as inquiry (Forbes, 2011; Forbes & Davis, 2010).  The findings presented in this article build upon these previous studies to illustrate how preservice elementary teachers conceptualize the continuum from more student-directed to teacher-directed inquiry and use it to make instructional decisions for science.

Article published in Science and Children

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sc1201_48_1_smallA paper from the PIESC3 group has just been published in the September issue of Science and Children. The article outlines and describes accessible strategies for modifying existing science lessons and curriculum materials to better engage students in ‘science as inquiry‘ and scientific practices.

Zangori, L., Forbes, C., & Biggers, M. (2012). This is inquiry…right? Strategies for effectively adapting elementary science lessons. Science and Children, 50(1), 48-53.

These strategies have been developed, used, and refined through almost 10 years of work with both preservice and inservice elementary teachers as part of the CASES and PIESC3 project research. We are excited to share them with many more teachers through Science and Children!

2012 Forbes Group presentations

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We have been busy this past winter and spring presenting empirical research from the PIESC3 project at NARST, AERA, and two invited talks in Germany. Recent presentations include:

Biggers, M., Forbes, C.T., & Zangori, L. (2012, April). Elementary teachers’ curriculum design and pedagogical reasoning for supporting students’ comparison and evaluation of evidence-based explanations. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Vancouver, BC.

Forbes, C.T., Biggers, M., & Zangori, L. (2012, April). Investigating essential characteristics of scientific practices in elementary science learning environments: The Practices of Science Observation Protocol (P-SOP). Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Vancouver, BC, April 13-17.

Forbes, C.T., Biggers, M., & Zangori, L. (2012, April). Toward an empirically-based learning progression: Defining progress variables and measurable levels of elementary teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge for science. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Vancouver, BC.

Aguirre-Mendez, C., Promyod, N., Forbes, C.T., Biggers, M., & Zangori, L. (2012, March). Characteristics of scientifically-oriented questions and the nature of inquiry in elementary classrooms: A multiple-case study. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the National Association of Research in Science Teaching, Indianapolis, IN.

Biggers, M. & Forbes, C.T. (2012, March). Elementary teachers’ ideas about, planning for, and implementation of learner-guided and teacher-guided inquiry. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the National Association of Research in Science Teaching, Indianapolis, IN.

Biggers, M., Zangori, L., & Forbes, C.T., (2012, March). Exploring scientific explanations: Promoting students’ sense-making in elementary classrooms. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the National Association of Research in Science Teaching, Indianapolis, IN.

Forbes, C.T., Biggers, M., & Zangori, L. (2012, March). Elementary teachers’ enactment of science curriculum materials: Investigating early learners’ engagement in scientific practices. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the National Association of Research in Science Teaching, Indianapolis, IN.

Pinney, B., Suh, J-K., Tseng, C-M., Forbes, C.T., Biggers, M., & Zangori, L. (2012, March). Dichotomous inquiry practices: Characterizing teaching practice based on essential features of inquiry. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the National Association of Research in Science Teaching, Indianapolis, IN.

Zangori, L. & Forbes, C.T., (2012, March). Learning to support elementary students’ scientific reasoning: Preservice elementary teachers and the evidence-explanation continuum. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the National Association of Research in Science Teaching, Indianapolis, IN.

Forbes, C.T. (2012, February). Fostering sense-making in K-8 science learning environments through curriculum and instruction: An evolving research agenda. Invited presentation at the University of Münster (WWU-Münster), Münster, Germany. Sponsored by the German Research Foundation (DFG).

Forbes, C.T. (2012, January). Fostering sense-making in K-8 science learning environments through curriculum and instruction: An evolving research agenda. Invited presentation at the University of Essen (NWU-Essen), Essen, Germany. Sponsored by the German Research Foundation (DFG).

RAES-Iowa project funded

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RAESlogoThe Reflective Assessment for Elementary Science in Iowa (RAES-Iowa) project has been funded. More information about the project can be found here. I am thrilled to be working with an amazing group of project partners from the University of Iowa and CGRER, GWAEA and the VAST Center, FOSS at the Lawrence Hall of Science, and elementary teachers from the Iowa City Community School District (ICCSD), Washington Community Schools (WCSD), Clear Creek Amana Community School District (CCACSD), Highland Community School District (HCSD), and St. James School on this project. The first workshops for teachers begin June 13 in Iowa City!

Article published in Science Education

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A manuscript from my dissertation study has been published in the September issue of Science Education. This article extends previous published findings from a larger study of preservice elementary teachers‘ adaptation of science curriculum materials. I report findings that explore explore preservice teachers’ reasoning about the use of science curriculum materials to engage early learners in science-as-inquiry.

Forbes, C.T. (2011). Preservice elementary teachers’ adaptation of science curriculum materials for inquiry-based elementary science. Science Education, 95(5), 927-955.

ESERA 2011 Conference

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photo3_croppedI recently returned from Lyon, France, where I attended the 2011 biannual meeting of the European Science Education Research Association (ESERA). I presented two papers at the conference, one from past research and one from new PIESC3 project work. I was fortunate to see many colleagues, as well as meet some new ones.

forbes_esera_9_2011Forbes, C.T. (2011, September). Elementary teachers’ curriculum design and pedagogical design capacity for reform-based science: Research across the teacher professional continuum. Paper presented at the bi-annual meeting of the European Science Education Research Association, Lyon, France.

Forbes, C.T., Biggers, M., & Zangori, L. (2011, September). Promoting and investigating elementary teachers’ PCK for inquiry-based science. Paper presented at the bi-annual meeting of the European Science Education Research Association, Lyon, France.

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PIESC3 Year 1 Summer Institute

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The first PIESC3 summer institute was held in Davenport, Iowa during the week of June 13. The PIESC3 team had the opportunity to work with an extraordinary group of 20 elementary teachers from the Davenport Community School District (DCS) around engaging students in scientific practices and inquiry in the classroom.

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Article published in Teaching and Teacher Education

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A paper from the CASES group at the University of Michigan has just been published in the May issue of Teaching and Teacher Education. The study investigates how two elementary teachers develop narratives about their use and adaptation of science curriculum materials that can serve as educative supports for colleagues.

Davis, E.A., Beyer, C., Forbes, C.T., & Stevens, S. (2011). Understanding pedagogical design capacity through teachers’ narratives. Teaching and Teacher Education, 27(4), 797-810.