Statement of Teaching Philosophy—Carrie J.

Beyer

Preparing education students to teach science has been a very rewarding experience for me. It
has provided me with the opportunity to help students develop confidence in their ability to teach
science as well as grow and develop as a teacher myself. As a science teacher educator, I aim to
develop students’ understanding of scientific inquiry, helping them visualize science as a process
of asking questions about phenomena, conducting investigations to answer those questions, and
building explanations based on evidence. I also aim to develop their enthusiasm for teaching
science and their ability to develop and teach lessons that engage children in scientific inquiry
and promote a deep understanding of science.

To help my students achieve these learning goals, I use a variety of pedagogical methods
grounded in my beliefs about teaching and learning. First, before introducing any new topic, I
elicit my students’ preexisting knowledge and beliefs. Students do not come into our classrooms
as blank slates; rather, they have a range of ideas that shape how they make sense of new
information and construct new knowledge. Therefore, I uncover my students’ prior knowledge in
order to help them become cognizant of their own ideas, and in turn, build upon and refine them
during the learning process. For example, at the beginning of a science methods course, I have
students complete two pre-assessments. One is a reflective journal entry that asks them to share
what they think are the key characteristics of effective science teaching. The other is a lesson
plan analysis task that has them identify the strengths and weaknesses of a science lesson plan
and make adaptations to address those weaknesses. These assessments enable me to see to what
extent they think teaching science as inquiry is important and are able to adapt curriculum
materials for inquiry and students. At the end of the semester, I administer the same assessments,
enabling me to see how my students’ ideas and abilities have evolved during the course.

To help my students expand their initial ideas and abilities, I provide them with a variety of
learning activities and experiences. For example, I have my students participate in scientific
investigations just as they might do with their own students. Theses investigations provide them
with the opportunity to experience the different aspects of scientific inquiry as learners
themselves before engaging their own students in the inquiry process. I also have my students
critically examine and share their ideas about different representations of practice, including
examples of science lesson plans, written cases of practice, examples of assessments and
accompanying student work, video recordings of lesson enactments, and direct observations of
classroom teachers. These representations of practice make visible particular facets of teaching
to my students, such as learning goals, anchoring questions, investigations, sensemaking,
assessment, and equity. In turn, they help students develop new ways of seeing and
understanding professional practice, thereby developing their understanding of science teaching.

To foster reflection on these representations of practice, I use a variety of small- and large-group
discussion formats, including think-pair-share activities, jigsaw groups, fishbowl, and concentric
circles. These discussions hold students accountable for developing their own ideas about the
topics and enable them to share their views with others, promoting a diversity of perspectives.
These interactions can also challenge students’ thinking and prompt them to consider new ideas
and concepts when making sense of experiences and constructing their own knowledge. To
orchestrate discussion among students, I serve as a guide and facilitator, encouraging students to
accept responsibility for their own learning rather than maintaining responsibility and authority
myself. I also encourage students to respond to one another’s ideas rather than responding
directly to me and display and encourage respect for all students’ ideas. These strategies help
foster a community of learners, where I am but one voice among many.

I also provide students with the opportunity to reflect individually on the representations of
practice through journal writing. In their journals I have students consider a variety of aspects of
teaching, including the characteristics of their school and classroom context, strategies for
addressing diverse student needs, alignment between learning goals and assessment, and the
strengths and weaknesses of various science curriculum materials. As students reflect on these
different topics, I encourage them not only to share their perspectives but also to support their
ideas with evidence. Having students learn how to make evidence-based assertions prepares
them to justify the pedagogical decisions they will make as future teachers. I provide frequent
feedback on students’ reflections, through written comments and class discussions, in order to
further facilitate their development as learners. These journals also serve as ongoing assessments
for me in order to gain insights into my students’ evolving understandings as they learn about
new ways of teaching science, thereby helping me to make informed decisions about how to
further support their learning.

To encourage my students to synthesize and demonstrate what they have learned, I use
performance-based assessments. In these assessments, students participate in different aspects of
professional practice that they will be expected to enact as teachers. These activities enable
students not only to apply their new knowledge and skills but also to simulate aspects of teaching
within a low-stakes, supportive context. Additionally, they enable me to assess my students’
ability to foster an inquiry-oriented learning environment. One of the assignments that I use in
my class asks students to develop a scenario or activity for finding out children’s initial ideas
about a science topic and then put their plan into action. This gives them the opportunity to
identify potential ideas—both misconceptions and normative ideas—that children may have
about a particular science topic. It also helps them develop their abilities for eliciting and
interpreting children’s ideas—something they will do as practicing teachers. Other authentic
activities that I use in my classroom include having my students prepare and teach a science
lesson in their field placement and assess and provide feedback on their own students’ work.

Finally, I know I still have much to learn about what it means to be an effective science teacher
educator. To continue to grow as a teacher myself, I participate in ongoing assessment of my
own teaching in my science methods course. For example, I interact with colleagues at weekly
planning meetings to reflect upon and improve teaching practice. I also use student assessments
to guide my teaching, making modifications to plans from class to class and from year to year.
Additionally, I conduct research on my own teaching, analyzing patterns in student thinking
within course assignments and student interviews. For example, I have examined how to support
my students in analyzing science curriculum materials and found that helping them learn about a
criterion-based approach can help them engage in productive analyses. This research enables me
to gain insights into ways in which I can improve the course as well as share my insights with
other science teacher educators in research journals and at conferences. Possessing a reflective
disposition and maintaining flexibility in my teaching enables me to be responsive to students,
providing them with the experiences they need to develop and grow as science teachers.