Preparing New Teachers to Teach Science: The Role of the Science Teacher Educator

Abstract

America is currently facing a shortage of teachers especially in the areas of math, science and technology. This shortage is particularly severe in urban centers such as New York City, where the number of new teachers needed within the next five to ten years is projected at more than twenty five thousand. The political, economic and logistical pressures this need places on large school systems come at a time when teacher education programs in the state are being forced to reduce the time spent in schools of education. Consequently, the trend in cities such as New York is for administrators to look for expedient operations capable of producing large numbers of teachers quickly. This paper seeks to challenge the prevailing attitudes toward teacher education. With a focus on science education, we attempt to articulate the expert knowledge and skills needed to prepare exemplary science teachers. We argue that before the public's mandate for scientific literacy for all Americans can be achieved, familiar views about the teaching and learning of science must often be challenged through processes requiring time, expertise, and support in professional programs purposely designed to develop exemplary science teachers. In doing so, we hope to define the role the science teacher educator as it pertains to meeting the current goals of science education.