Referents for making sense of science teaching

Abstract

The paper reports an interpretive investigation of teacher learning and change within the context of the science curriculum. Marsha, a beginning science teacher, was experiencing considerable difficulties in managing her class. Through her involvement in this study, Marsha learned about constructivism and began to use it, initially to analyse the language she used to describe knowledge and learning, and eventually to analyse what happened in her classroom and construct a vision of what her science classroom might be like. However, change was difficult. The metaphors Marsha used to make sense of her three salient teaching roles were inconsistent with constructivism and the associated vision for the curriculum. Accordingly, Marsha constructed new metaphors to make sense of her teaching roles such that the associated actions of the teacher and students were acceptable from a constructivist point of view. The use of constructivism and newly formulated metaphors to plan and implement the science curriculum led to a markedly improved environment in Marsha's classes. Initially, Marsha's attempts at change were resisted by her colleagues, who made sense of science teaching and learning in terms of objectivism. However, over a period of three years the school culture evolved to one that was characterized by teacher and student actions that were more consistent with constructivism than objectivism.

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