The first-year experience teaching science
Location
1048
Format Type
Event
Format Type
Paper
Start Date
January 2019
End Date
January 2019
Abstract
A multiple case study was built around four individual novice cases from one of the largest school districts in the state of Florida. The research examined how today’s novice science teachers describe their first year teaching, how their feelings about being science teachers change during the first year, how they describe successes, and identifies challenges beginning science teachers face. Findings of the multiple case study relate experiences perceived as positive, bureaucratic, involving student and parent apathy, local administration, and missed communications. Beliefs changed about student needs, mandated science exams, district micromanagement, confidence, and unique personal changes. Descriptions provided of success involved mentoring, students, lesson planning, confidence, and retention. Perceived challenges were parent and student apathy, mandated science exam validity, student needs, micromanagement of science lessons, discipline, abandonment, and development. Emergent themes included concerns for questionable ethical administrative actions and poor administrative decisions perceived by the novice science teacher. A metaphor is provided to communicate the multiple factors impacting the development of first-year science teachers.
Keywords
novice, science teacher, secondary, first-year teacher, experience, case study, multiple case study, qualitative
The first-year experience teaching science
1048
A multiple case study was built around four individual novice cases from one of the largest school districts in the state of Florida. The research examined how today’s novice science teachers describe their first year teaching, how their feelings about being science teachers change during the first year, how they describe successes, and identifies challenges beginning science teachers face. Findings of the multiple case study relate experiences perceived as positive, bureaucratic, involving student and parent apathy, local administration, and missed communications. Beliefs changed about student needs, mandated science exams, district micromanagement, confidence, and unique personal changes. Descriptions provided of success involved mentoring, students, lesson planning, confidence, and retention. Perceived challenges were parent and student apathy, mandated science exam validity, student needs, micromanagement of science lessons, discipline, abandonment, and development. Emergent themes included concerns for questionable ethical administrative actions and poor administrative decisions perceived by the novice science teacher. A metaphor is provided to communicate the multiple factors impacting the development of first-year science teachers.
Comments
Breakout Session D