EXAMINING FRACTURES IN CERTIFICATION, CURRICULUM, AND COMMUNITY: LESSONS FROM EARTH SCIENCE AND A SCIENCE TEACHING METHODS COURSE IN AN ALTERNATIVE CERTIFICATION PROGRAM

Lessons learned from designing and implementing a teaching methods course for practicing secondary science teachers in an alternative certification program in Philadelphia offer possible paths forward in ensuring teachers are equipped to provide equitable and engaging science learning opportunities for all students, especially students of color and students from low income communities.

Urban public school districts have undergone drastic changes in recent decades with the growth of charter schools, expansion of alternative pathways into teaching, and shifting demographics of a teaching force that has less experience and that does not mirror the diverse backgrounds of students. Further, an emphasis on standardized testing in educational accountability systems has resulted in a narrowing of curricula, including decreased student exposure to and engagement with Earth science. Changes to the urban education landscape manifest themselves in a science teaching methods course in an alternative certification program in Philadelphia: teachers in the program may not have undergraduate degrees in science or science education, may work in schools that do not have dedicated Earth science courses and that instead focus on life and physical sciences, and may not be from or directly connected to the communities in which they teach.

In designing and implementing a teaching methods course to address the aforementioned challenges related to certification, curriculum, and community, one can capitalize upon the strengths of Earth science. First, Earth science relies heavily on modeling. Teachers in the course explore models and modeling in an effort to deepen their own understandings of the nature of science and of core scientific ideas. Second, Earth science breaks down barriers between scientific disciplines because of its focus on interrelated systems. Teachers in the course identify opportunities for integrating Earth science into their own biology, chemistry, and physics courses to strengthen student learning. Third, Earth science promotes the study of and solutions to both local and global challenges. Teachers in the course learn to ground curricula in place-based and problem-based learning experiences that build upon student and community resources and strengthen students’ senses of agency.