A Balancing Act in the Third Space: Graduate-Level Earth Science in an Urban Teacher-Residency Program

• Published in: Journal of geoscience education Vol. 63; no. 3; pp. 167 - 175
• Main Author: Zirakparvar, N. Alex
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bellingham National Association of Geoscience Teachers 01.08.2015; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Beginning Teachers; College students; Earth; Earth Science; Earth Science teacher preparation; Educational Benefits; Graduate Study; Learning; Museums; New York; Pedagogical Content Knowledge; Preservice Teacher Education; Preservice Teachers; Program Descriptions; Program Effectiveness; Public schools; research experience for teachers; science course work for teachers; Science Curriculum; Science Education; Science Teachers; Teacher Education Programs; Teaching methods; Urban Schools; urban teacher residency; United States > US; New York
• ISSN: 1089-9995; 2158-1428
• DOI: 10.5408/14-058.1

This article describes a museum-based urban teacher-residency (UTR) program's approach to building subject-specific content knowledge and research experience in Earth Science teacher candidates. In the museum-based program, graduate-level science courses and research experiences are designed and implemented specifically for the UTR by active Earth and Space research scientists that account for almost half of the program's faculty. Because these courses and research experiences are designed specifically for the teacher candidates, they are different from many science courses and research experiences available to preservice teachers in a university setting. At the same time, the museum-based program is the only UTR, to our knowledge, to incorporate such a rigorous science curriculum, and this article considers some possible advantages and disadvantages of the program's approach. Because the museum-based program's science curriculum is balanced against the educational coursework and teaching residencies that necessarily form the program's backbone, the museum's approach to strengthening the teacher candidate's science background may also inform the faculty and administration of other UTRs in cases in which one of their program goals is to further expand their teacher candidate's content knowledge and practical subject matter experience.