scholarly journals Transdisciplinary Approach in Middle School: A Case Study of Co-teaching Practices in STEAM Teams

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 138-162
Author(s):  
Yufei Wu ◽  
Jiaming Cheng ◽  
Tiffany A. Koszalka
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Language Arts ◽  
Middle School Teachers ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Transdisciplinary Approach ◽  
Different Dimensions ◽  
Types Of Instruction ◽  
Physical Spaces ◽  
Team Model

A call for educational reform motivated this school system to devise an enhanced version of STEM in their middle school. This case provides rich descriptions of how eighth grade middle school teachers, from multiple disciplines, enacted a STEAM team model that integrated Language Arts into STEM. These STEAM team teachers were systematically studied during field observations of 100+ class sessions using what they referred to as transdisciplinary co-teaching, flexible scheduling, and multiple types of physical spaces to further engage students. Different dimensions of co-teaching were observed. The most frequently observed was reconstructed, followed by predisciplinary, correlated, and shared. Types of instruction other than reconstructed, did not fit the school’s proposed definitions of transdisciplinary co-teaching. Thoughts are shared on lessons learned.

Middle School Teachers' Sensemaking of Job-Embedded Learning

2017 ◽  
pp. 453-480 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brandi Wade Worsham
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Middle School Teachers ◽  
School Context ◽  
Learning Experiences ◽  
Future Research ◽  
School Teachers ◽  
School Day ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Job Embedded Learning

The purpose of this chapter is to discuss a multi-case study on how middle school teachers constructed understandings of their job-embedded learning experiences. The aim of the study was to explore how teachers made sense of and gave meaning to their learning experiences that occurred during the school day as they engaged in the work of being a teacher. Job-embedded learning experiences referred to any formal or informal learning opportunity that was grounded in the context of the school day and characterized by active learning and reflection. This chapter includes a detailed overview of the literature on effective professional development and the characteristics of job-embedded learning as each relates to the middle school context; the background and significance of the study; a description of the research design, methods, and procedures; a discussion of the research findings and subsequent implications for educators; and suggestions and recommendations for practice and future research.

scholarly journals An Ethnographic-Case Study of Beliefs, Context Factors, and Practices of Teachers Integrating Technology

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julie Angers ◽  
Krisanna Machtmes
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Middle School Teachers ◽  
Exemplary Teachers ◽  
Release Time ◽  
Ethnographic Case Study ◽  
Student Centered ◽  
Context Factors ◽  
Planning Project ◽  
Flexible Planning

This ethnographic-case study explored the beliefs, context factors, and practices of three middle school exemplary teachers that led to a technology-enriched curriculum. Findings suggest that these middle school teachers believe technology is a tool that adds value to lessons and to students learning and motivation. Due to a personal interest in technology, these teachers are self-taught and apply for grants to acquire new hardware and software. They receive support for release time to continue with ongoing professional development, which has helped to change their teaching strategies from teacher-centered to student-centered. They are not afraid to take risk using trial and error, flexible planning, project-based lessons, varying roles, varying grouping, and providing multiple activities in their classroom practices.

Middle School Teachers and Undergraduate Mentors Collaborating for Culturally Relevant STEM Education

2021 ◽  
pp. 004208592110584
Author(s):  
Meredith W. Kier ◽  
Lindy L. Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Middle School Teachers ◽  
Culturally Relevant ◽  
Urban School District ◽  
School Teachers ◽  
Culturally Relevant Education ◽  
Curriculum And Pedagogy ◽  
Multiple Case ◽  
Relevant Education

This qualitative multiple case study explores the collaborations between three STEM middle school teachers and three STEM undergraduate mentors of color in an urban school district. Drawing on sociocultural theories and literature on culturally relevant education, we used a comparative thematic approach to explore how mentors contributed to culturally relevant opportunities in STEM curriculum and pedagogy. We found that the partners’ STEM identities, how the teacher positioned the mentor in the learners’ experience, and the teachers’ philosophy of the purpose of engineering influenced the contribution undergraduate mentors could make to rigorous and equitable engineering instruction.

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