Mathematics

Content focused peer coaching and the development of lesson
plans about scientific inquiry -
H. Weitzel, R. Blank
University of Education Weingarten, Germany
Background
Scientists, science teacher educators, and classroom teachers agree that
students should hold knowledge about scientific inquiry, because scientific
inquiry is seen as an indispensable component of scientific literacy (Abell,
2007; Lunetta et al., 2007). Based on this assumption several countries all
over the world have implemented teaching standards for scientific inquiry (e.g.
EDK, 2011; KMK, 2004). According to those standards scientific inquiry is
defined as an active and idealized learning process modelled after the inquiry
process of professional scientists. It is a content of itself, comprising reflective
knowledge about scientific thinking, scientific methods, techniques of
laboratory work like planning and executing experiments and the Nature of
Science.
As learning outcomes are, at least in part, depending on the quality of
classroom teaching, learning to create an inquiry-oriented lesson is a core part
of science teacher education (NGSS, 2013; Windschitl, 2003). Frequently
science teacher students as well as inservice teachers struggle with planning
inquiry-oriented lessons (e.g. Schneider & Plasman, 2011). Among the
reasons are unfavourable beliefs about scientific inquiry, little experience with
scientific thinking and scientific methods in school and teacher education,
insufficient knowledge about central terms like “hypothesis” and
“experimentation”, and at a more administrative level missing or insufficient
teaching standards related to scientific inquiry that can be used to develop
learning opportunities for future science teachers (e.g. Asay & Orgil, 2010;
Gyllenpalm & Wickman, 2011; Hasse et al., 2014). Unlike the US (NGSS,
2013) in Germany exist rather general standards for science teacher education
(KMK, 2004; GFD, 2005) that require educators on the university level to
individually specify what science teacher students should learn to be able to
plan and analyse inquiry-oriented science lessons. Furthermore, empirical
data about successful teaching strategies fostering science teacher students’
orientations and knowledge about planning inquiry-oriented lessons is small in
number (e.g. Capps & Crawford, 2013).
Reflected experience in school-based learning environments is considered a
key element for the transition from novel to professional teacher (Wanzare,
2007). A popular approach to enrich practice-based learning opportunities is
mentoring by more experienced teachers, which can occur before, during, and
after lessons (Schwille, 2008; West & Staub, 2003). Recent studies have
shown that supported lesson planning is an effective learning opportunity for
student teachers with respect to different indicators like self-reported changes
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