Preparing Preservice Chemistry Teachers for Constructivist Classrooms through Use of Authentic Activities

How does one become an expert high school chemistry teacher? Research has shown that even when students complete a chemistry degree program and the pedagogical course requirements necessary for teacher licensure they may still graduate and begin teaching without a firm grasp of how to teach specific chemistry concepts (1). Research by Shulman (2, 3) suggests that expert chemistry teachers are those who have integrated their knowledge of chemistry with their knowledge of pedagogy—that is, they possess pedagogical content knowledge, the knowledge of how to foster the understanding of specific chemistry concepts. A Collaborative ApproachThe Rocky Mountain Teacher Education Collaborative (RMTEC) was funded by the National Science Foundation to find ways to help preservice teachers (students in teacher-preparation programs) develop pedagogical content knowledge. Colorado State University, Metropolitan State College of Denver, and the University of Northern Colorado (UNC) teamed with three two-year colleges (Ai...