SCIENCE TEACHERS CONCEPTUAL GROWTH WITHIN VYGOTSKYS ZONE OF PROXIMAL DEVELOPMENT

Within a sociocultural context, this study examined how science teache rs' knowledge of science and science pedagogy changed as a result of p articipating in a constructivist-based graduate science methods course . Fourteen elementary and middle school science teachers worked with a n assigned partner for the duration of the course. Teachers with more than 5 years' experience were paired with teachers who had 5 or fewer years' experience. Results from pre- and postinstruction concept maps, journals, portfolios, and transcripts of discourse revealed that with in the zone of proximal development, peers, teachers' students, instru ctors, readings, and tools mediated the development of content and ped agogical knowledge. (C) 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.