Science teachers’ implementation of science and engineering practices in different instructional settings

ABSTRACT

This article explores science teachers’ implementation of science and engineering practices (SEPs) under different instructional settings. We compared the number of SEPs science teachers reported using in face-to-face instruction (traditional), online-only instruction (virtual), or HyFlex instruction (synchronously online and in-person) from August 2020 to May 2021. Records and artefacts of the teachers’ instructional practices were collected over three one-week periods. Interview data were used to validate teachers’ instructional activities, the context of SEP implementation, and their challenges when navigating the different instructional settings. Through a lens of consequential transition perspective, our findings revealed that science teachers implemented significantly more SEPs in a HyFlex or traditional setting than in a virtual setting. The results also showed that regardless of the instructional setting, elementary and secondary teachers generally implemented few investigating SEPs. Among elementary teachers, developing explanations and solutions were the most frequently used SEPs across all instructional settings. Among secondary teachers, the developing explanations and solutions SEPs and evaluating SEPs were prevalent but varied across the different instructional settings. Our findings suggest that science teachers need to continue to build their knowledge and practice of the SEPs, and have different supports to facilitate their SEP implementation in different instructional environments.

KEYWORDS:

• science and engineering practices
• instructional settings
• consequential transition perspective

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Declaration of interest statement

The authors reported no potential conflict of interest.

Ethics statement

This research was approved by the University of Georgia Institutional Review Board.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported through a grant from the National Science Foundation [grant number: DRL-1908431]. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the National Science Foundation.