Case Studies in Elementary Science Learning from Teachers

Preface The case studies in this book are not imaginary stories constructed from a theory. All of them were written by real teachers who share their experiences of teaching science to children in real classrooms. The cases were chosen to illustrate the broad range and variety of decisions that teachers make every day as they guide learning in the classroom and interact with colleagues, administrators and parents outside of the classroom. Acase, as we use the term, is the original story or account written by a teacher and is the raw material for the case study. We asked the teachers to reflect on their recent science teaching experience and to write about an incident or situation that for some reason stuck in their minds, either as an example of a successful resolution of a problem or as an example of a situation that they could not resolve to their own satisfaction. The incident or episode is considered a case of a larger class; it is but one among many examples that might be chosen for study. Some teachers chose to write about an incident in the past that still troubled them rather than a more recent event. Acase study, sometimes called ateaching case, is a case that has been developed to use in instruction. Each case study in this book has a brief introduction to place it in context and is followed by questions to stimulate discussion. The value of using case studies in instruction is in the thoughtful discussion, analysis, and reflection that they stimulate and the consideration of the complexities and the ambiguities inherent in teaching science. Each teacher who contributed to this book tried to compose a story that would engage the interest of readers and deepen their understanding of the multifaceted nature of science teaching. Some of the stories have been left just as teachers wrote them, while others have been edited to emphasize points or add details that were missing. For some cases we went back to the teachers to ask for more background, more details, or more explanation of why the decision was made as it was. In all cases, the teachers who wrote them gave permission to have them published. The focus in all the cases is on situations and decisions that are related to teaching science. Each case deals with an important issue or dilemma that arose in elementary science teaching, and each required the teacher to make a decision or a series of decisions. Most of the cases required the writers to make decisions that were never obvious and were sometimes difficult. These cases take preservice and inservice teachers beyond the realm of rules and predetermined answers; they deal with situations that require judgment and the weighing of one value or principle against another when both are worthy and important. The emphasis throughout the book is on the base of practical knowledge that underlies successful teaching rather than on the application of theories from education or psychology. The primary purpose is to help preservice and beginning teachers develop guidelines and criteria for making decisions in the classroom and in other aspects of their work. More experienced teachers may find the book helpful as a springboard for reflection and discussion among themselves or as a stimulus to writing cases of their own. The book has been designed for use in methods courses and workshops and by teachers who pursue professional development on their own. It not intended to take the place of a comprehensive textbook but should be used as a supplement to other teaching materials in an elementary science methods course. Instructors of methods courses should note, however, that examples of inquiry-based teaching included in some of the cases can serve to reinforce other aspects of the preservice curriculum. The first chapter introduces the reader to the use of case studies in teaching and explains why case studies are particularly appropriate in science teaHowe, Ann C. is the author of 'Case Studies in Elementary Science Learning from Teachers', published 2000 under ISBN 9780130824677 and ISBN 0130824674.