Teaching Science in Rural Elementary Schools: Affordances and Constraints in the Age of NGSS

Autor/inn/en	Zinger, Doron; Sandholtz, Judith Haymore; Ringstaff, Cathy
Titel	Teaching Science in Rural Elementary Schools: Affordances and Constraints in the Age of NGSS
Quelle	In: Rural Educator, 41 (2020) 2, S.14-30 (17 Seiten) PDF als Volltext kostenfreie Datei Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0273-446X
Schlagwörter	Science Instruction; Elementary School Science; Rural Schools; National Standards; Elementary School Teachers; Barriers; Teacher Attitudes; Outdoor Education; Environmental Influences; Faculty Development; Teacher Collaboration; Professional Isolation; Educational Needs; Instructional Materials; Teacher Competencies; California + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Teaching of science; Science education; Natural sciences Lessons; Naturwissenschaftlicher Unterricht; Rural area; Rural areas; School; Schools; Ländlicher Raum; Schule; Schulen; Elementary school; Teacher; Teachers; Grundschule; Volksschule; Lehrer; Lehrerin; Lehrende; Lehrerverhalten; Freiluftunterricht; Environmental influence; Umwelteinfluss; Lehrerkooperation; Educational need; Bildungsbedarf; Lehrmaterial; Lehrmittel; Unterrichtsmedien; Lehrkunst; Kalifornien
Abstract	Providing science instruction is an ongoing priority and challenge in elementary grades, especially in high-need rural schools. Nonetheless, few studies have investigated the factors that facilitate or limit teachers' science instruction in these settings, particularly since the introduction of the Next Generation Science Standards. In this study we investigated affordances and constraints to elementary science instruction in high-need rural schools. Data sources included semi-structured interviews and survey responses from 49 teachers from 30 different rural schools. Through a primarily qualitative analysis, we identified four teacher reported categories of affordances and four categories of constraints to teaching science. One category of affordances, access to a variety of outdoor science resources, and one category of constraints, high levels of isolation, were closely tied to the nature of rural schools. The other affordances and constraints are broadly recognized factors influencing science instruction. Implications for supporting rural teachers' science instruction are discussed. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	National Rural Education Association. e-mail: theruraleducator@gmail.com; Web site: https://journals.library.msstate.edu/ruraled
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01