Research Symposium

BIO

Originally from Panama City Beach, Florida, I moved to Tallahassee to complete my Bachelor's in Public Health after obtaining my Associates at Gulf Coast State College. My passion for learning and desire to work in a science field is what inspired me to explore research in the realm of science education. If there is one thing I hope to accomplish in my career, it is to inspire the great minds of the younger generations to keep exploring the many fascinations of life. To always have that eagerness to discover the "how" and "why" of the world.

Sensemaking: Talk moves in a science education professional development

Abstract

Professional development (PD) is one-way teachers can improve their skills and engender change in their practice to support their students. By studying how PD can impact a teacher's practices in the classroom, effective teaching methods can be discovered and implemented to enhance students’ learning in science. One such method is the promotion of sensemaking through “talk moves.” Sensemaking follows the idea that learning science relies on using a student's background knowledge and experiences as a foundation to further their understanding of how the world works. Teachers can support sensemaking through talk moves, which are specially formatted questions that guide a student's thinking without directly giving them the answer. This study focuses on two secondary science teachers who engaged in a year-long PD program that supported teachers in facilitating talk in their classrooms as their students engaged in rigorous science tasks. Using a qualitative methods approach that included teacher interviews, and classroom observations, teachers were observed for how they engage in talk with their students. The findings of this study highlight the importance of targeted PD programs in supporting a teacher in learning to facilitate by using talk moves in the classroom to support students’ sensemaking.

Keywords: science education, professional development, sensemaking