Secondary Science Teachers’ Subject Matter Knowledge Development Across the First 5 Years

ABSTRACT

Although studies repeatedly show both the importance of teachers’ science subject matter knowledge (SMK) and the fact that teachers have limited SMK, there are few opportunities for teachers to formally enhance their understanding of science after entering the classroom. Therefore, there is significant need for teachers to develop their SMK through classroom experience. In this longitudinal study, we explore the development of new secondary science teachers’ SMK by analyzing concept maps constructed in their 1st year of teaching and in their 5th year of teaching. We present a scoring system that reliably accounts for both the quality of connections and knowledge structure. Based on the findings presented, we conclude that these new chemistry teachers’ SMK did not change significantly from their 1st year of teaching to their 5th year of teaching. Implications for teacher educators and future research are presented.

KEYWORDS:

• Concept mapping
• new teachers
• subject matter knowledge
• teacher development

Acknowledgments

We would like to acknowledge the teachers in this study for their enthusiastic participation as well as the many individuals who participated in collecting these data. We specifically acknowledge the contribution of Gillian H. Roehrig.

Funding

This work was supported by National Science Foundation Grant Nos. 0918697 and 1247096. The findings, conclusions, and opinions herein represent our own views and do not necessarily represent the views of personnel affiliated with the National Science Foundation.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by National Science Foundation Grant Nos. 0918697 and 1247096. The findings, conclusions, and opinions herein represent our own views and do not necessarily represent the views of personnel affiliated with the National Science Foundation.