Preservice Teachers Noticing and Positioning Students as “Knowers” in Equitable Scientific Argumentation- Based Discussions

Abstract

This study investigated how preservice elementary teachers’ (PSTs) noticed the discourse practices they used to position students and their scientific thinking as they engaged a group of student avatars in argumentation-based simulated discussions. Using qualitative methods, 82 teaching reflections from 28 PSTs were analyzed. Findings indicate that in most reflections (66%), the PSTs were able to support coconstruction of knowledge in the Mursion ® simulations. A further 28% of the reflections indicated that one student was positioned as a “knower,” suggesting the beginning of power shifts within the classroom discussions. In just 6% of the reflections, the teacher was the person responsible for constructing knowledge. These findings suggest that simulations may provide PSTs with opportunities to practice positioning students as capable of explaining and questioning one another’s ideas, and to develop teachers’ skills to notice the discourse practices they use to build collective consensus in argumentation-based discussions.

Department(s)

School of Teaching, Learning and Developmental Science

Document Type

Article

DOI

10.4018/978-1-6684-8296-4.ch010

Publication Date

1-1-2023

Journal Title

Cultivating Critical Discourse in the Classroom

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