Professional Identity Development of Teacher Candidates Participating in an Informal Science Education Internship: A focus on drawings as evidence

Abstract

This study investigated the professional identity development of teacher candidates participating in an informal afterschool science internship in a formal science teacher preparation programme. We used a qualitative research methodology. Data were collected from the teacher candidates, their informal internship mentors, and the researchers. The data were analysed through an identity development theoretical framework, informed by participants’ mental models of science teaching and learning. We learned that the experience in an afterschool informal internship encouraged the teacher candidates to see themselves, and to be seen by others, as enacting key recommendations by science education standards documents, including exhibiting: positive attitudes, sensitivity to diversity, and increasing confidence in facilitating hands‐on science participation, inquiry, and collaborative work. Our study provided evidence that the infusion of an informal science education internship in a formal science teacher education programme influenced positively participants’ professional identity development as science teachers.

Keywords:

• Informal education
• Pre‐service

Acknowledgements

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0455752. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

Notes

1. The content in sections ‘Affective Benefits’, ‘Exposure to Transformative Pedagogy’, and ‘Beliefs Concerning the Teaching and Learning of Science’ was drawn from McGinnis et al. (in press).

2. During the fall semester of 2006 a small pilot study was conducted. Four interns participated in the afterschool internship. Refinements were made to the research design and data collection instruments based on the pilot study.