Elementary teachers' beliefs about, perceived competencies for, and reported use of scientific inquiry to promote student learning about and for the environment

Journal of Environmental Education

Volumn 42, Issue 1, 2010, Pages 30-42

  Forbes, Cory ^a   Zint, Michaela ^b  

^a UNIVERSITY OF IOWA   (United States)

^b UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN   (United States)

Author keywords

elementary science; elementary teachers; environmentlal education; science education; scientific inquiry

Indexed keywords

EID: 77956608568     PISSN: 00958964     EISSN: 19401892     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1080/00958961003674673     Document Type: Article

References (47)

1. Abell, S. K. (2007). Research on science teacher knowledge. In S. K. Abell & N. G. Lederman (Eds.), Handbook of research on science education (pp. 1105-1149). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
2. Alvarez, P., de la Fuente, E. I., Perales, F. J., & Garcia, J. (2002). Analysis of a quasi-experimental design based on environmental problem solving for the initial training of future teachers of environmental education. Journal of Environmental Education, 33, 19-21.
3. Bell, C., Shepardson, D., Harbor, J., Klagges, H., Burgess,W., Meyer, J., & Leuenberger, T. (2003). Enhancing teachers' knowledge and use of inquiry through environmental science education. Journal of Science Teacher Education, 14, 49-71.
4. Christenson, M. A. (2004). Teaching multiple perspectives on environmental issues in elementary classrooms: A story of teacher inquiry. Journal of Environmental Education, 35, 3-16.
5. Comeaux, P., & Huber, R. (2001). Students as scientists: Using interactive technologies and collaborative inquiry in an environmental science project for teachers and their students. Journal of Science Teacher Education, 12, 235-252.
6. DeBoer, G. E. (1991). A history of ideas in science education: Implications for practice. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.
7. Dillman, D. (1991). The design and administration of mail surveys. Annual Review of Sociology, 17, 225-249.
8. Dresner, M. (2002). Teachers in the woods: Monitoring forest biodiversity. Journal of Environmental Education, 34, 26-31.
9. Duschl, R. (2008). Science education in three-part harmony: Balancing conceptual, epistemic, and social learning goals. Review of Research in Education, 32, 268-291.
10. Ekborg, M. (2003). How student teachers use scientific conceptions to discuss a complex environmental issue. Journal of Biological Education, 37, 126-132.
11. Forbes, C. T., & Davis, E. A. (2008). Exploring preservice elementary teachers' critique and adaptation of science curriculum materials in respect to socioscientific issues. Science & Education, 17, 829-854.
12. Fortner, R. W., & Meyer, R. L. (2000). Discrepancies among teachers' priorities for and knowledge of freshwater topics. Journal of Environmental Education, 31, 51-53.
13. Gayford, C. (2002). Controversial environmental issues: A case study for the professional development of teachers. International Journal of Science Education, 24, 1191-1200.
14. Groves, R., Fowler, F. J., Couper, M., Lepkowski, J., Singer, E., & Tourangeau, R. (2004). Survey methodology. New York, NY: Wiley.
15. Hart, P. (2007). Environmental education. In S. Abell & N. Lederman (Eds.), Handbook of research on science education (pp. 1105-1149). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
16. Heimlich, J. E., Braus, J., Olivolo, B., McKeown-Ice, R., & Barringer-Smith, L. (2004). Environmental education and preservice teacher preparation: A national study. Journal of Environmental Education, 35, 17-21.
17. Hodson, D. (2003). Time for action: Science education for an alternative future. International Journal of Science Education, 25, 645-670.
18. Hsu, S.-J., & Roth, R. E. (1999). Predicting Taiwanese secondary teachers' responsible environmental behavior through environmental literacy variables. Journal of Environmental Education, 30, 11-18.
19. Hughes, G. (2000). Marginalization of socioscientific material in science-technology-society science curricula: Some implications for gender inclusivity and curriculum reform. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 37, 426-440.
20. Kenney, J. L., Militana, H. P., & Donohue, M. H. (2003). Helping teachers to use their school's backyard as an outdoor classroom: A report on the watershed learning center program. Journal of Environmental Education, 35, 18-26.
21. Kim, C., & Fortner, R. W. (2006). Issue-specific barriers to addressing environmental issues in the classroom: An exploratory study. Journal of Environmental Education, 37, 15-22.
22. Littledyke, M. (1997). Science education for environmental education? Primary teacher perspectives and practices. British Educational Research Journal, 23, 641-659.
23. Lucas, A.M. (1980). Science and environmental education: Pious hopes, self-praise and disciplinary chauvinism. Studies in Science Education, 7, 1-26.
24. Magnusson, S., Krajcik, J., & Borko, H. (1999). Nature, sources, and development of pedagogical content knowledge for science teaching. In J. Gess-Newsome & N. Lederman (Eds.), Examining pedagogical content knowledge: The construct and its implications for science education (pp. 95-132). Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Kluwer Academic Publishers.
25. Marx, R., & Harris, C. (2006). No Child Left Behind and science education: Opportunities, challenges, and risks. Elementary School Journal, 106, 467-477.
26. May, T. S. (2000). Elements of success in environmental education through practitioner eyes. Journal of Environmental Education, 31, 4-11.
27. McKeown-Ice, R. (2000). Environmental education in the United States: A survey of preservice teacher education programs. Journal of Environmental Education, 32, 4-11.
28. Meichtry, Y., & Harrell, L. (2002). An environmental education needs assessment of K-12 teachers in Kentucky. Journal of Environmental Education, 33, 21-26.
29. Morton, B. A., & Dalton, B. (2007). Changes in instructional hour in four subjects by public school teachers in grades 1 through 4 (NCES 2007-305). Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved from http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid= 2007305
30. Moseley, C., Reinke, K., & Bookout, V. (2002). The effect of teaching outdoor environmental education on preservice teachers' attitudes toward self-efficacy and outcome expectancy. Journal of Environmental Education, 34, 9-15.
31. North American Association for Environmental Education. (2000). Excellence in environmental education: Guidelines for learning (K-12). Rock Spring, GA: North American Association for Environmental Education.
32. National Research Council. (1996). National science education standards. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.
33. National Research Council. (2000). Inquiry and the national science education standards: A guide for teaching and learning. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.
34. National Research Council (2007). Taking science to school: Leaning and teaching science in grades K-8. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
35. Pajares, M. F. (1992). Teachers' beliefs and educational research: Cleaning up a messy construct. Review of Educational Research, 62, 307-322.
36. Palmer, J. (1998). Environmental education for the 21st century. London: Routledge.
37. Plevyak, L. H., Bendixen-Noe, M., Henderson, J., Roth, R. E., & Wilke, R. (2001). Level of teacher preparation and implementation of EE: Mandated and non-mandated EE teacher preparation states. Journal of Environmental Education, 32, 28-36.
38. Powers, A. L. (2004). Teacher preparation for environmental education: Faculty perspectives on the infusion of environmental education into preservice methods courses. Journal of Environmental Education, 35, 3-11.
39. Richardson, V. (1996). The role of attitudes and beliefs in learning to teach. In J. Sikula, T. Buttery, & E. Guyton. (Eds.), Handbook of research on teacher education (pp. 102-119). New York, NY: Macmillan.
40. Rickinson, M. (2001). Learners and learning in environmental education: A critical review of the evidence. Environmental Education Research, 7, 208-320.
41. Roehrig, G. H., Kruse, R. A., & Kern, A. (2007). Teacher and school characteristics and their influence on curriculum implementation. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 44, 883-907.
42. Sadler, T. D., Amirshokoohi, A., Kazempour,M.,&Allspaw, K. M. (2006). Socioscience and ethics in science classrooms: Teacher perspectives and strategies. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 43, 353-376.
43. Shepardson, D. P., Harbor, J., Bell, C., Meyer, J., Leuenberger, T., Klagges, H., & Burgess, W. (2003). ENVISION: Teachers as environmental scientists. Journal of Environmental Education, 34, 8-11.
44. Shulman, L. (1986). Those who understand: Knowledge growth in teaching. Educational Researcher, 15, 4-14.
45. Tal, R., & Argaman, S. (2005). Characteristics and difficulties of teachers who mentor environmental inquiry projects. Research in Science Education, 35, 363-394.
46. Wee, B., Shepardson, D., Fast, J., & Harbor, J. (2007). Teaching and learning about inquiry: Insights and challenges in professional development. Journal of Science Teacher Education, 18, 63-89.
47. Zint, M., & Peyton, R. B. (2001). Improving risk education in grades 6-12: A needs assessment of Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin science teachers. Journal of Environmental Education, 32, 46-54.