The Excitement and Wonder of Teaching Science: What Pre-service Teachers Learn from Facilitating Family Science Night Centers

• Published in: Journal of science teacher education 2012-03, Vol.23 (2), p.199-220
• Main Author: Harlow, Danielle B.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Children; complications; Course Descriptions; Education; Educational Environment; Educational Opportunities; Eelementary education; Elementary education; Elementary school students; Elementary School Teachers; Elementary Secondary Education; Family (Sociological Unit); Identification; Informal Education; Informal learning; Informal science; Learning; Learning experiences; Lifelong Learning; Methods Courses; Observation; Preservice Teacher Education; Preservice Teachers; Reflective Teaching; Science Curriculum; Science Education; Science Instruction; Science Interests; Science learning; Science Teachers; Science Teaching Centers; Student teachers; Teacher Education; Teacher Educators; Teaching and Teacher Education; Teaching Methods
• ISSN: 1046-560X; 1573-1847
• DOI: 10.1007/s10972-012-9264-5

In this study, pre-service teachers facilitated stations at a family science night as a context to learn to identify, assess, and use children's science ideas. Assessment is already difficult in K-12 classrooms. Assessing learning in informal learning environments adds the complication that participation is largely voluntary. As such, controlling the learners' participation to systematically assess learning is counter to the intents of informal environments. The pre-service teachers in this study experienced success at teaching science and developed understandings about children's science ideas. Data included reflective postings, class discussions, observations, artifacts, and photographs. The findings contribute to understanding the value of multiple learning contexts in teacher preparation and lead to implications about leveraging informal science contexts for educating teachers.