Date of Conferral

5-29-2024

Date of Award

May 2024

Degree

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

School

Education

Advisor

John Harrison

Abstract

The local problem explored in this study was the barriers and challenges facing middle school teachers in integrating and assessing writing in a science classroom. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the perspectives of college instructors and middle school science teachers regarding how teacher education programs provide the pedagogical skills necessary to integrate and assess writing within the classroom. Grounded in the Shulman’s pedagogical content knowledge framework, research questions were designed to ask college instructors to describe how they prepare their students to integrate and assess writing as well as how the teachers described how their teacher preparation program provided course experiences needed to integrate and assess writing in the science classroom. Using a basic qualitative design, data were collected from 13 teachers and five college instructors via semistructured interviews. Thematic analysis was used to identify patterns and report themes. The final themes were minimal writing pedagogy skills acquired during teacher education program, collaborative and dynamic learning experiences about writing pedagogical writing skills are acquired after college and during teacher professional development, teacher education programs are designed to provide foundational learning not writing pedagogical skills, discussion on writing pedagogical skills is inconsistent and marginal in the teacher education program, and understanding the assessment process is integral in a teacher education program. The results of this study may have a positive impact on social change by bridging the gap between college instructors and middle school teachers’ perspective on how well teacher education programs prepare teachers to integrate and assess writing in the classroom.

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