Abstract
The spotlight on initial teacher education (ITE) in Australia continues to burn brightly (e.g., Ellis, 2022). This attention remains largely due to demands emerging from enduring national reform agendas around ‘quality’ and ‘impact’ (Bourke & Ryan, 2022; Brandenberg et al., 2016) as well as a teacher shortage crisis exacerbated by the global pandemic (McLean Davies & Watterson, 2022). Through these intersecting concerns, a narrative has emerged in ITE policy and practice calling for the ‘classroom readiness’ of graduate teachers (Green et al., 2018). Australia does not stand isolated in this policy-pandemic duality with similar tensions playing out on the worldwide stage (see: LeTendre, 2021; Welch, 2022). What is largely unknown and unknowable now, however, is what happens next to create movement from airing to actioning these dual concerns of teacher quality and teacher shortages. This context provides an opportunity to turn our gaze to our respective field within ITE in the Australian context – primary science teacher education – and to surface practical and proactive ways forward in this ‘messy’ and complex space. While ‘classroom-readiness’ is a noble intention, the reality is that there is a lack of a holistic understanding of what is actually happening in terms of how these intentions may be achieved. This presentation explores the current purpose of and future possibilities for primary science teacher education, including models for practice, notions and implications of a science specialisation, and the inherent role of STEM education in building and enhancing science learning and teaching. While this subsequent introspection is largely positioned to inform understandings in an Australian setting, it is not at the expense of the international body of knowledge or what could be contributed to improving global practice. Specifically, this presentation seeks to provide a landscape analysis of the current ‘state of play’ of primary science teacher education.
| Original language | English |
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| Pages | 403-404 |
| Number of pages | 2 |
| Publication status | Published - 31 Aug 2023 |
| Event | 15th Biennial Conference of the European Science Education Research Association 2023: ESERA 2023 - Nevşehir Hacı Bektaş Veli University, Cappadocia, Turkey Duration: 28 Aug 2023 → 01 Sept 2023 https://www.esera2023.net/ https://www.esera2023.net/programme/ (Program) https://www.esera2023.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/ESERA-27-08-2023-.pdf (Abstract book) |
Conference
| Conference | 15th Biennial Conference of the European Science Education Research Association 2023 |
|---|---|
| Abbreviated title | Connecting science education with cultural heritage |
| Country/Territory | Turkey |
| City | Cappadocia |
| Period | 28/08/23 → 01/09/23 |
| Other | As you may know, the European Science Education Research Association (ESERA) was formed at the European Conference on Research in Science Education held in Leeds, England, in April 1995. Since then, ESERA has held biennial conferences. The 15th Conference of the European Science Education Research Association (ESERA 2023) occurred in Cappadocia, Türkiye, from August 28 to September 1, 2023. Hacettepe University, Gazi University and Nevşehir Hacı Bektaş Veli University hosted the ESERA 2023 Conference. Due to its central location and excellent facilities, the conference was organized on Nevşehir Hacı Bektaş Veli University campus with the state-of-the-art convention center and other facilities. STEM fields, namely science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, have enormously impacted human societies over recorded history. Today, they constitute an integral and inseparable part of the societies in which we live. On the other hand, resources of cultural heritage can play an important role in improving science teaching and learning in formal and informal settings. “Connecting Science Education with Cultural Heritage” is one of the main goals of UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. UNESCO seeks to build peace through international cooperation in education, sciences, and culture and carry out programmes to contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Science, heritage, culture, and arts are uniquely interconnected in Cappadocia. Hence, the ESERA 2023 Conference’s theme is “Connecting Science Education with Cultural Heritage.” Since the region is extremely rich in culture and carries the heritage of several historical cultures, we hope the theme will trigger a new way of looking at science teaching as the concept of “cultural heritage” has not been adequately utilized in the literature. |
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