Doctor of Philosophy, Miami University, 2014, Educational Leadership

Politicians and educators frequently refer to the lack of science being taught in public schools. President Obama has voiced concerns about employers' economic interests not being served through public school's science education. An understanding of science is also required in order to evaluate political and social justice issues. This project identifies aspects of the epistemological understandings of science known as Nature of Science (NOS) that were found in elementary school teachers' science identities and their teaching practices. The case study used surveys, interviews, and classroom observations, to construct individual stories that capture participants' science identities. Emergent themes were identified within the teachers' identities. Experiences with informed NOS instruction (K-16) were lacking. Instructional practices of teachers aligned with their understandings of science epistemology. Consequences of national, state, and local, education policies were identified. All participants acknowledged needs and desires for professional development in science instruction. However, no efforts were being undertaken to pursue or provide in-service training for science. The statuses of these teachers cannot be unique in a nation possessing numerous similar rural settings. The insight gained through this study provides an important glimpse of U.S. education that policy makers need to appreciate in order to be able to generate the political advocacy necessary to enact quality science education reform. This project concludes with proposals for future training designed to foster understandings of science epistemology that are necessary for effective science teaching. Providing support effecting informed science epistemology (NOS) requires alterations to professional and personal identities; not lists of standards or administrative directives to teach science. Teachers' naive science identities, transformed through an acculturation of NOS, may gene (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Richard Quantz PhD (Committee Chair); Thomas Poetter PhD (Committee Member); Lawrence Boggess PhD (Committee Member); Nazan Bautista PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Education Policy; Educational Leadership; Elementary Education; Epistemology; Inservice Training; Public Policy; Science Education; Teacher Education; Teaching

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2009, ED Teaching and Learning (Columbus campus)

In this study, a new conceptual model of Science Teacher Identity (STI) was proposed and examined. The construct dimensions of science teacher identity were conceptualized; a newly developed instrument to measure the level of science teacher identity was tested for validity and reliability; and preliminary evidence in support of the STI model was gathered. For this study, a 48-item questionnaire was developed in Likert format to measure the nine postulated dimensions of the proposed STI model: science teachers' personal learning experience, having knowledge and skills, community practice, science teaching practice, degree of success, social respect, belief and value in science teaching, intrinsic satisfaction, and representation. To validate the construct validity of nine dimensions, the model of STI was quantitatively and qualitatively examined using a sample of 17 preservice science teachers who were completing a graduate level science teacher preparation program. Techniques used included administration of a questionnaire, interviews, and document analysis. To examine the underlying structural formation of the STI model, subscale score reliabilities and correlations of each dimension of the STI model to a variety of variables were analyzed using survey data from an instrument administered to 414 experienced science teachers. Results provided empirical evidence that the construct of science teacher identity can be explicitly modeled and reliably measured. Also, preliminary findings supported the construct validity of the STI model, with several hypothesized correlations implied by the model being documented, and the change in level of STI expected to be associated with professional development experiences being observed.

Committee: David Haury (Advisor); Robert Hite (Committee Member); Patricia Brosnan (Committee Member) Subjects: Science Education