A Story of Changing Instructional Practice by a Research Scientist Learning How to Turn Future Earth Science Teachers into Masters of Content in a Clinical Preparation Pilot Program

ABSTRACT

The American Museum of Natural History's (AMNH) master of arts in teaching (MAT) Earth Science pilot program has a unique faculty structure in which postdoctoral scientists on joint research and education appointments are directly involved in clinical teacher preparation. The goal of involving these scientists is to help turn the future teachers into masters of geoscientific content, but it might have the added benefit of providing the scientists with educational experience and pedagogical knowledge they can then apply to their own teaching of university-level courses. This is important because great attention is focused on reforming precollege science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education, but university degree completion rates indicate that less than half of all incoming STEM degree aspirants actually attain their STEM degrees, with completion rates as low as ∼20% for some racial and ethnic groups. Specific to the geosciences, the number of undergraduate degrees awarded per year has always been low relative to other STEM disciplines, but it is currently at less than 5,000 degrees per year and declining, whereas more than 60,000 degrees per year are awarded in STEM fields like engineering and biology. The issue of how to improve university-level geoscience instruction is discussed within the context of this author's personal story of improved instructional practices gained by interactions with AMNH-MAT education faculty and teacher candidates in the capacity of a postdoctoral research and education fellow. The self-reflective aspects of this commentary are combined with observations on the state of higher education in the U.S. and then used as a springboard to highlight the potential for clinical teacher preparation programs to break down traditionally held self-conceptions of the faculty roles and responsibilities of scientists and educators in an academic setting.

Key words: :

• clinical teacher preparation
• geoscience education
• curriculum design

Acknowledgments

This commentary would not have been possible without the author's experiences in the AMNH-MAT program, codirected by Drs. Rosamond Kinzler, Maritza MacDonald, Ed Mathez, and Mordecai-Mark Mac Low, with funding provided by the New York State Department of Education, the National Science Foundation, and the Kathryn W. Davis Foundation.