Children's concepts: Tools for transforming science teachers' knowledge

This study examined the roles that students' science concepts play in promo ting teachers' professional growth. Two cohorts of teachers (N = 26 and 30) participated in the study as part of a constructivist-based graduate cours e on elementary and middle school science methods. A modified learning cycl e was used during course instruction as a framework for teachers to explore sound, light, and electricity. Data on teachers' pedagogical and conceptua l growth was obtained from pre- and postconcept maps,journal reflections, a nd portfolios. Results of the concept map analysis showed that teachers' ma ps became more integrated and cohesive as seen in the increase of crosslink s, hierarchies, and relationships drawn for each science topic. The journal s and portfolios showed that students' science knowledge served as discrepa nt events that evoked teachers' dissatisfaction with their own content know ledge and motivated them to reconsider their pedagogical practices. Student s' concepts also served as change agents, resulting in changes in teachers' views of their roles and instructional behaviors. (C) 1999 John Wiley & So ns, Inc.