Teaching Contexts That Influence Elementary Preservice Teachers’ Teacher and Science Teacher Identity Development

Abstract

Supporting elementary preservice teachers’ development of a science teacher identity provides a way to address challenges of low self-efficacy, self-confidence, and pedagogical content knowledge in science. Meaningful teaching experiences in student teaching placements and field-based science methods courses provide opportunities for preservice teachers to develop their identities as science teachers and deepen their understandings of social justice issues in science. This collective case study examined how the teacher and science teacher identities of three elementary preservice teachers, and their becoming social justice teachers, developed during their first semester of student teaching after taking a one-semester science methods course. The study drew on subject matter teacher identity, positioning theory, and social justice science teacher identity. Preservice teachers' personal identities and histories, university coursework, positioning in their student teaching classrooms, and opportunities to authentically teach were identified as mediating influences on the development of their teacher and science teacher identity, as well as their perceived ability to teach science for social justice. The study has implications for understanding the ways in which student teaching experiences, including how cooperating teachers position student teachers, support or work against reform-oriented science teacher identities developed through university coursework.

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