Preservice elementary teachers’ noticing in reflections of rehearsal and classroom enactments during practice-based methods courses across three universities

• Published in: Teaching and teacher education 2024-07, Vol.144, p.104585, Article 104585
• Main Authors: Arias, Anna Maria, Fick, Sarah J., Benedict-Chambers, Amanda
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Elementary science teaching; Practice-based teacher education; Preservice teachers; Rehearsals; Teacher learning
• ISSN: 0742-051X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tate.2024.104585

Teaching requires noticing through attending to, interpreting, and responding to significant instructional events. To support science learning, elementary teachers must learn the complex work of noticing integrated scientific sensemaking, where students make sense of phenomenon through disciplinary practices. Using qualitative case studies, researchers investigated preservice teachers' noticing when reflecting on rehearsal and classroom enactments within practice-based science methods courses at three universities. Analyses showed common patterns in the teachers’ reflection across the university such as more regularly privileging integrated sensemaking in rehearsal reflections compared to classroom enactment reflections. These findings have implications for rehearsal use within teacher education. •Rehearsals supported elementary preservice teachers' noticing of students' integrated scientific sensemaking.•Preservice teachers attended to interactions among students and teachers during rehearsal and classroom enactments.•Preservice teachers interpreted using evidence and reasoning in rehearsal and classroom reflections.•Teachers used more evidence reflecting on engaging students in investigations compared to constructing explanations.•Teachers' rehearsal reflections privileged integrated sensemaking, yet this focus declined in classroom reflections.