"Making Space": How Novice Teachers Create Opportunities for Equitable Sense-Making in Elementary Science. (January 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Haverly, Christa; Calabrese Barton, Angela; Schwarz, Christina V.; Braaten, Melissa
• Is Part Of: Journal of teacher education. Volume 71:Number 1(2020)
• Page Start: 63
• Page End: 79
• Publication Date: 2020-01
• Subjects: elementary education -- science education -- science teacher education -- equity; Teachers -- Training of -- Periodicals; 370.71105
• DOI: 10.1177/0022487118800706
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0022-4871

Abstract

Scholarly calls to reform science education for all students emphasize scientific sense-making. Despite the importance of sense-making, few strategies exist to help novice teachers learn to notice and respond equitably to students' scientific sense-making in elementary science. In this article, we report on a qualitative case study in which we investigated sense-making moments that occurred when novice teachers facilitated classroom discussions. Findings suggest that when novice teachers made space in class discussions for sense-making—for example, by trying different responses to clarify student ideas or waiting before responding to figure out next steps—this expanded opportunities for shared epistemic authority; however, novices did not often recognize these moments as productive for sense-making. Findings also suggest that novice teachers may benefit from support to help them develop their abilities to notice, interpret, and respond equitably to students' scientific sense-making in class discussions.