Teacher Cognition of Engaging Children in Scientific Practices

Abstract

We focus on teacher cognition of how to engage students in scientific practices in the classroom by drawing on the empirical literature related to teacher knowledge of inquiry-based instruction, scientific inquiry, and our own work centered on engaging teachers in authentic scientific investigations. Teacher cognition of scientific practices is important in light of the renewed emphasis in the US and abroad on the practices of science, that emphasizes carrying out scientific ways of thinking in the classroom to foster higher-level thinking in children. Although engaging students in inquiry-oriented pedagogy has been advocated for over a hundred years, this kind of teaching is rare. Even some of the most informed teachers struggle to (1) articulate what inquiry is, often recognizing only the most salient features of inquiry, and (2) engage their students in critical aspects of doing science and understanding the nature of science. In this chapter we explore what teachers need to know in order to enact sophisticated science pedagogy related to scientific practices in the classroom. We also argue that teachers need to have integrated knowledge of science concepts, scientific practices, nature of science, and pedagogy, and to take a metacognitive stance towards their teaching to support students in engaging in scientific practices in the classroom.