Examining What and How Secondary Science Preservice Teachers Learn from Using a Suite of Online Simulations

ABSTRACT

Preservice teachers (PSTs) need to be able to use ambitious teaching practices to help support their students’ productive engagement in scientific practices such as analyzing and interpreting data or using evidence-based reasoning to support their claims. Approximations of practice are one way in which teacher educators can support their PSTs to develop their skills in enacting ambitious teaching practices. In this study, we report on the use of a suite of three online, simulated approximations of practice where secondary PSTs practiced facilitating discussions focused on engaging students in argumentation. Using information from both PSTs’ and teacher educators’ perspectives, we examined their main takeaways from each simulation experience, how learning from one simulation was used to prepare for the next simulation, PSTs’ perception of the simulations’ authenticity, and their views about whether they would recommend using this online suite of simulations in future teacher preparation courses. Findings suggested that teacher educators and PSTs alike noted a variety of main takeaways, including understanding the importance of planning and asking good questions. Furthermore, they recommended the suite for use in future teacher education courses. Implications of the work for productively integrating online simulations into teacher education settings are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Approximations of practice
• argumentation
• discussion
• secondary preservice teachers
• simulations

Disclosure statement

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

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant [2037983]. 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. The authors report there are no competing interests to declare.