Document Type

Article

Publication Date

Spring 2017

Publication Title

Innovations in Science Teacher Education

Volume

2

Issue

2

Publisher Name

Association for Science Teacher Education

Abstract

Despite an increased recognition of the role that ‘informal’ learning spaces (e.g. museums, aquariums, other cultural institutions) have in children’s science education (NRC, 2015), there remains a gap between the goals and values of ‘informal’ and ‘formal’ (i.e. school-based) learning sectors. Moreover, the potential for informal spaces and institutions to also play a role in initial teacher preparation is only beginning to be realized. Here, we present our Science Teacher Learning Ecosystem model and explain how it frames the design of our elementary science teacher education coursework. We then use this framework to describe learning experiences that are collaboratively planned and implemented with two local museums. These course sessions engage teacher candidates as science learners and develop abilities and mindsets for bridging formal and informal teaching and learning divides. Readers are encouraged to think about their unique context and the out-of-school partners available to collaborate with, be it museums similar to those described here or parks, after-school programs, gardens, etc.

Comments

Author Posting. © 2017 by The Association for Science Teacher Education. This article is the author's version of the work. It is posted here by permission of the Association for Science Teacher Education for personal use, not redistribution. The final version was published in Innovations in Science Teacher Education, 2(2). http://innovations.theaste.org/cultural-institutions-as-partners-in-initial-elementary-science-teacher-preparation/

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.

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