Stimulating constructivist teaching styles through use of an observation rubric

Abstract

One of the difficult transitions for new secondary science teachers is that from novice teacher to master teacher. Often this process involves the novice in adopting survival strategies for teaching rather than those advocated by the National science education standards or the Project 2061 benchmarks. This study reports on an instrument that has been shown to be useful in helping novice teachers reflect on and change their science teaching praxis. Based on the interpretation of this case study, it appears to have the potential to significantly affect the development of secondary science teachers by providing a readily accessible model of instruction that aligns with student-centered models of instruction advocated by the Standards and Project 2061. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 36: 955–971,1999