Teaching Science in Diverse Classrooms: Real Science for Real Students - Softcover

Larkin, Douglas B.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0367189976 ISBN 13: 9780367189976

Publisher: Routledge, 2019

Synopsis

As a distinctive voice in science education writing, Douglas Larkin provides a fresh perspective for science teachers who work to make real science accessible to all K-12 students. Through compelling anecdotes and vignettes, this book draws deeply on research to present a vision of successful and inspiring science teaching that builds upon the prior knowledge, experiences, and interests of students. With empathy for the challenges faced by contemporary science teachers, Teaching Science in Diverse Classrooms encourages teachers to embrace the intellectual task of engaging their students in learning science, and offers an abundance of examples of what high-quality science teaching for all students looks like.

Divided into three sections, this book is a connected set of chapters around the central idea that the decisions made by good science teachers help light the way for their students along both familiar and unfamiliar pathways to understanding. The book addresses topics and issues that occur in the daily lives and career arcs of science teachers such as:

· Aiming for culturally relevant science teaching

· Eliciting and working with students’ ideas

· Introducing discussion and debate

· Reshaping school science with scientific practices

· Viewing science teachers as science learners

Grounded in the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), this is a perfect supplementary resource for both preservice and inservice teachers and teacher educators that addresses the intellectual challenges of teaching science in contemporary classrooms and models how to enact effective, reform

About this title

About the Author:

Douglas B. Larkin is an Associate Professor in the Department of Teaching and Learning at Montclair State University. He has worked as a high school science teacher and educator in New Jersey, Wisconsin, Kenya, and Papua New Guinea. His research examines science teacher preparation and retention, as well as issues of equity and justice in teacher education.

Review:

"This book speaks to all types of science teachers and their different contexts―Doug Larkin is writing to a diverse science teacher audience. The way he integrates and weaves together stories from his teaching and his work as a teacher educator with those of other teachers makes the whole book feel connected, an authentic learning experience. The book is written the same way he envisions science teaching―it is meant to be intriguing and real not just a series of facts forced onto the reader."

Dr. Anna Monteiro, Program Officer, Knowles Teacher Initiative

"I love the tempo and approach to this book. It is accessible and clearly connects the 'bigger issues' of science education to the actual practices of teaching."

Dr. David Meshoulam, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Speak for the Trees and High-School and College Science Instructor.

"As a (former) science teacher I felt both validated and challenged by the book. It is a wonderfully realistic portrayal of teaching science in real classrooms and recognition of all that science teaching entails. I like that Larkin encourages teachers to forge stronger connections to science practices and deeper learning, and he communicates these important messages as a nudge towards more collaborative sense-making. It’s positive and encouraging and offers teachers ways to reorient what they already do towards more robust science teaching. "

Jennifer Wilfrid, Senior Outreach Specialist, WIDA at the Wisconsin Center for Education Research

About this edition

• Publisher: Routledge
• Publication date: 2019
• ISBN 10: 0367189976
• ISBN 13: 9780367189976
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 134