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MIAMI UNIVERSITY The Graduate School Certificate for Approving the Dissertation We hereby approve the Dissertation of Scott A. Sander Candidate for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy __________________________________________ Director Dr. Thomas Poetter _________________________________________ Reader Dr. Lisa Weems _________________________________________ Reader Dr. Ann MacKenzie _________________________________________ Graduate School Representative Dr. Nazan Bautista ABSTRACT EXPLORING PRESERVICE TEACHERS’ INTERPRETATIONS OF CURRICULAR EXPERIENCES WHILE LEARNING TO TEACH IN AN INQUIRY-ORIENTED WAY: A PHENOMENOLOGY by Scott A. Sander Despite ubiquitous calls for school reform, the traditional transmission model of education continues to dominate our nation’s science classrooms at all levels. How do these experiences impact those who enter formal teacher education programs and Methods courses that promote a more inquiry-oriented way of teaching science? The purpose of this foundational study was to explore the interpretations of five preservice science teachers’ (PSTs) curricular experiences in order to gain a greater understanding directly from the participants about learning to teach in an inquiry-oriented way. Phenomenology was selected as a flexible methodology that enabled access to the “lifeworld” that PSTs had constructed of their experiences within a science Methods course. The inquiry-based methods used within the course also provided the data that ultimately became the bulk of the stories presented in Chapter 4. The methods were selected for their ability to make the PSTs’ thinking visible. The use of “thinking routines” within the context of the Methods course supplied data from the PSTs as they were in the role of a student. The use of the virtual classroom TeachLivE™ supplied data from the PSTs as they were in the role of a teacher. The data generated by these unique methods helped to constitute the stories presented in Chapter 4. Instead of stories about the PSTs these are stories constructed from the data that represents the thinking of PSTs. The stories are presented as what PSTs see, believe, care about, and wonder with regards to learning to teach in an inquiry-oriented way. This data indicates that while PSTs have taken notice of the challenge to their existing ideas about teaching science there are still significant barriers that must be overcome to replace entrenched beliefs in order for them to implement inquiry-oriented practices in their future classrooms. As a beginning step in the inquiry process and aligned with constructivist theories of learning, thinking routines and TeachLivE™ have the potential to elicit the prior knowledge of PSTs regarding learning to teach. By providing a way to hear the voices of PSTs and make their thinking visible, I surface implications for science education and future research to shift the traditional discourse within classrooms. EXPLORING PRESERVICE TEACHERS’ INTERPRETATIONS OF CURRICULAR EXPERIENCES WHILE LEARNING TO TEACH IN AN INQUIRY-ORIENTED WAY: A PHENOMENOLOGY A DISSERTATION Submitted to the Faculty of Miami University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of Educational Leadership by Scott A. Sander Miami University Oxford, Ohio 2014 Dissertation Director: Dr. Thomas S. Poetter TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS………….………………………………………….….……iii CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................... 1 CHAPTER 2 – LITERATURE REVIEW ........................................................................ 11 CHAPTER 3 - METHODOLOGY ................................................................................... 18 CHAPTER 4 - FINDINGS ............................................................................................... 55 CHAPTER 5 - DISCUSSION ........................................................................................ 115 APPENDICES ................................................................................................................ 139 APPENDIX A: ............................................................................................................... 140 APPENDIX B: ................................................................................................................ 154 APPENDIX C: ................................................................................................................ 157 APPENDIX D: ............................................................................................................... 163 WORKS CITED ............................................................................................................. 166 ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I want to acknowledge my parents for providing me the opportunities and access to pursue this dissertation. Your support has never wavered, it gives me constant strength and security, and I appreciate the sacrifices you’ve made for me. I would like to thank the members of my dissertation committee; Dr. Thomas Poetter, Dr. Ann MacKenzie, Dr. Lisa Weems, and Dr. Nazan Bautista for their support and contributions moving this project from an idea to a completed study. Thank you, Tom, for helping me “struggle through.” Your enthusiastic support during the program gave me confidence and determination to keep looking for more. Thank you, Ann, for first exposing me to the idea of inquiry. You have been a mentor, colleague, and friend during my time in education. Your guidance and our conversations have made this a thoughtful and rewarding journey. Thank you, Lisa, for sharing your passion for qualitative research and getting me to “trust the process.” Thank you, Naz, for pushing my thinking forward. Your drive and determination in the field of science education is inspiring. I would also like to thank the preservice teachers who agreed to take part in this study. They made this project possible by making their thinking visible for us all to see. iii Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION The vast history of education is filled with complex landscapes and multifaceted stories. With so many sights and sounds, it can be a challenge to find an entry point into the conversation. As I began to study the field more deeply, what initially jumped out and caught my attention were the ubiquitous calls for educational reform that seem to take a prominent place alongside how education is envisioned and discussed. The reform of education seems to run parallel to the existence of compulsory schooling itself (Hess, 2010; Lagemann, 2000). Why are we caught in a constant state of reform? What is it that we want education to look like or sound like and why isn’t it taking shape? Narrowing in on these questions led me to notice the persistent nature of classrooms and the consistent way that teachers teach (Cuban, 1993). Despite all the modern advances in society and changes that have occurred in the outside world over the past 100 years, the inner workings of classrooms have maintained a familiar look and feel (DeBoer, 1991). In an attempt to build an understanding about some of the persistent aspects of how teachers teach, I saw a need for my research to begin in the trenches of individual classrooms where the actual work of education takes place. Specifically, this study explores the thinking of individuals who are intricately intertwined and intimately involved with education on multiple levels, preservice teachers (PSTs). Not only have these individuals spent their formative years in classrooms as students, they now aspire to continue their lives in classrooms as teachers. While much has already been written about education related to the consistent, persistent, and resistant nature of classrooms (Cuban, 1993; Hess, 2010; Lagemann, 2000), much remains to sort out. By stating that we don’t have all the answers isn’t to imply we don’t know anything. I entered this study heeding the words of John Dewey (1997) that “mankind likes to think in terms of extreme opposites” (p. 17) and as such I look to avoid any strict dualisms between the transmission model and inquiry-based practices. I do echo the sentiments of many progressive educators and colleagues that “the status quo isn’t all that great” (Poetter, 2011, p. 12). It just seems so limiting and I’m after more. So this study is not designed to recycle existing narratives 1 nor is it about starting from scratch but it places value on adding more voices to the conversation … the voices of PSTs about their journey going from student to teacher. These are the very individuals who will be required to implement reform efforts that call for changes in classroom actions and discourses. If there are things we aren’t seeing or that we are overlooking from the outside, maybe asking PSTs about their experiences will provide an inside perspective. Listening to PSTs’ interpretations of their educational experiences may provide a foundation for opening our eyes to seeing more, shift the current stories that exist, and open up broader conversations about education, schools, curriculum, and classrooms. Background of the Problem Going to school is a common experience for most people and “schools, regardless of location, tend to look more similar than different” (Knowles, 1994, p. 121). Various sights and sounds of classroom life become quite familiar; desks filled with students aligned in rows, teacher positioned at the front of the room, students raising their hands in order to answer questions posed by the teacher. Generations of people share