PERC 2009 Abstract Detail Page
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Abstract Title: | Measuring Science Teacher Knowledge: Domain-General or Domain-Specific? |
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Abstract: | The development of reliable and valid measures of science teacher knowledge is essential for the evaluation of teacher education programs. A particular challenge is that most programs serve pre-service teachers with a range of disciplinary specialties. Is it best to measure science teacher knowledge within individuals' science specialty, or can this be measured domain-generally for the sciences? In this research, we investigated this question by developing a physics-specific measure of science teacher knowledge. We then conducted an experiment in which we randomly administered a domain-general measure or the parallel physics-specific measure to a population of pre-service science teachers. We also interviewed and observed the teaching practices of two subsets of participants in order to contribute to our understanding of what is being measured. The empirical evidence gathered serves to further develop the Flexible Application of Student-Centered Instruction (FASCI) instrument, and contributes to our understanding of science teachers' pedagogical content knowledge. |
Abstract Type: | Contributed Poster |
Author/Organizer Information | |
Primary Contact: |
Robert M. Talbot III University of Colorado at Boulder School of Education UCB 249 Boulder, CO 80309-0249 Phone: 303-492-4331 |
Co-Author(s) and Co-Presenter(s) |
Valerie K. Otero, valerie.otero -at- colorado.edu, University of Colorado at Boulder Derek C. Briggs, derek.briggs -at- colorado.edu, University of Colorado at Boulder |