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Abstract Title: Measuring Science Teacher Knowledge: Domain-General or Domain-Specific?
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