Examining Teachers’ Perceptions of Authentic Science Practices and Practices-Based Curriculum

The Next Generation Science Standards in the United States emphasize that teachers should teach science and engineering content by engaging students in the practices of experts. To develop a practices-based curriculum, teachers must have sufficient knowledge of the practices of scientists and engineers (SEPs). Research experiences for teachers (RETs) in academic labs coupled with science education-focused professional development during the research experience is a strategy to increase teachers’ understanding of these practices. This qualitative research study focused on teachers’ perceptions of SEPs as they engaged in research and how they prepared a curriculum for students to investigate and ultimately explain a particular phenomenon or solve a problem. The findings indicate that RET programs can successfully support teachers in building a curriculum that engages students in the practices; however, these are limited to practices directly associated with their own research. Teachers characterized authentic activities based on students’ level of agency rather than their engagement in the SEPs. More collaborations between STEM researchers and pedagogical experts are needed to bring authentic STEM learning experiences to the pre-college classrooms.