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Abstract
“Floating” teachers, or teachers without their own classroom, experience unique affordances and constraints as they develop professionally. To increase the knowledge in this area, this study looks at how traveling to different classrooms affects beginning secondary science teachers’ development and instruction. The participants in this study were three first-year floating secondary science teachers whose experiences were analyzed through a cultural historical activity theory framework. The data revealed how floating can either support or constrain the development of beginning science teachers, and limit the implementation of standards-based instruction. Finally, this study shows that high levels of human, physical, and social resources are necessary for progress towards standards-based science teaching. It suggests that if science teachers must move to different classrooms, we need to create ways in which to support their instruction and development. Furthermore, this study recommends that all teachers and supervisors work toward a deeper understanding of the school community’s role in the experience of the floating science teacher.
Acknowledgments
The authors of this study would like to acknowledge Gillian Roehrig who assisted with the data collection in this study, and the teachers who participated enthusiastically in the interviews and observations. This study was made possible by National Science Foundation grants 0550847, 0918697, 0732600, and 0632368. It was also made possible by the University of Georgia Graduate School scholarship that supported the time of the first author. The findings, conclusions, or opinions herein represent the views of the authors and do not necessarily represent the view of personnel affiliated with the National Science Foundation or the Graduate School at the University of Georgia.