Papers by April L Luehmann
Journal of Research in Science Teaching
We find ourselves at a time when the need for transformation in science education is aligning wit... more We find ourselves at a time when the need for transformation in science education is aligning with opportunity. Significant science education resources, namely the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and the Ambitious Science Teaching (AST) framework, need an intentional aim of centering social justice for minoritized communities and youth as well as practices to enact it. While NGSS and AST provide concrete guidelines to support deep learning, revisions are needed to explicitly promote social justice. In this study, we sought to understand how a commitment to social justice, operationalized through culturally sustaining pedagogy (Paris, Culturally sustaining pedagogies and our futures. The Educational Forum, 2021; 85, pp. 364–376), might shape the AST framework to promote more critical versions of teaching science for equity. Through a qualitative multi‐case study, we observed three preservice teacher teams engaged in planning, teaching, and debriefing a 6‐day summer camp in a...
Peter Lang Publishing eBooks, Jul 8, 2011
This book illustrates and critically analyzes the potential of blogging to encourage different wa... more This book illustrates and critically analyzes the potential of blogging to encourage different ways of communicating, interacting, learning and thinking in science and mathematics educationpossibly the most unlikely school contexts one may think could be affected by new literacies. Grounded in empirical data of teachers and students using blogging in a variety of contexts, the book examines which specific uses of blogging can be most conducive to transforming science and mathematics classrooms into places that are more equtiable and justplaces invite and nurture new, more social and authentic, forms of participation for all members (students, teachers and significant others). We refer to this more equitable and authentic engagement in math and science education as reform-based practices.
Starting a teacher education program, for many, begins an entirely new adventure – the route to b... more Starting a teacher education program, for many, begins an entirely new adventure – the route to becoming a special kind of professional person. The application process foregrounds the many, varied and rich building blocks each future teacher brings to bear on their future learning project including things like growing up with a mother as a teacher, having served in the Peace Corp, teaching or developing summer camps, working 20 years as an engineer, or earning a bachelor’s degree in environmental science.
PhDT, 2001
... by April Luehmann A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the... more ... by April Luehmann A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Educational Studies and Industrial & Operations Engineering) in The University of Michigan 2001 Doctoral Committee: ...
Cultural Studies of Science Education, Jul 18, 2008
Many attempt to address the documented achievement gap between urban and suburban students by off... more Many attempt to address the documented achievement gap between urban and suburban students by offering special programs to enrich urban students' academic experiences and proficiencies. Such was the case in the study described by DeGennaro and Brown in which urban students participated in an after-school technology course intended to address the ''digital divide'' by giving these youth supported experiences as technology users. However, also like the initial situation described in this study, instructional design that does not capitalize on what we know about urban education or informal learning contexts can actually further damage urban youths' identities as learners by positioning them as powerless and passive recipients instead of meaningful contributors to their own learning. The analysis presented in this forum is intended to further the conversation begun by DeGennaro and Brown by explicitly complexifying our consideration of context (activity structures and setting) so as to support the development of contexts that afford rich learning potential for both the urban students and their learning facilitators, positioned in the role of teachers. Carefully constructed contexts can afford participants as learners (urban students and teachers) opportunities to access rich identity resources (not typically available in traditional school contexts) including, but not limited to, the opportunity to exercise agency that allows participants to reorganize their learning context and enacted culture as needed. Keywords Identity development Á Urban education Á Learning contexts Á Informal learning Á Urban teacher education Youth voices: Connections between history, enacted culture and identity in a digital divide initiative by DeGennaro and Brown demonstrates the potential influence of history to direct and either encourage or limit participation in learning experiences, and thus the
Science Education, Sep 1, 2007
Concepts and findings from research on identity development are employed to better understand why... more Concepts and findings from research on identity development are employed to better understand why current science teacher preparation programs are failing to prepare teachers who are able and choose to implement the vision for science education articulated in professional standards. Identity theory is used as a theoretical lens to make sense of and better address some of the unique challenges of becoming a reform-minded science teacher, a professional identity that does not reflect the common norm in the profession; these challenges include the emotional risk and possible need for "repair work," lack of familiarity with and buy-in into complex practices of inquiry, and the need for opportunities to participate in competent practice and have this participation acknowledged. Two basic design principles for science teacher preparation are identified as a result of this analysis: (a) the need to create safe places and scaffolded ways for beginning science teachers to try on and develop their identities as reform-minded science teachers, which may include capitalizing on the unique opportunities of practice teaching in out-of-school contexts; and (b) the need to offer opportunities to be recognized, by self and others, as reform-minded teachers through ongoing, structured, and supported reflection.
The New Educator, Aug 5, 2008
... Address correspondence to April Lynn Luehmann, Warner Graduate School of Education and Human ... more ... Address correspondence to April Lynn Luehmann, Warner Graduate School of Education and Human Development, University of Rochester, Dewey Hall 1160L, Rochester, NY 14627, USA. E-mail: [email protected] Page 2. 176 AL Luehmann ...
The Journal of the Learning Sciences, Jul 21, 2008
informa que el(los) autor(es) ha(n) autorizado a usuarios internos y externos de la institución a... more informa que el(los) autor(es) ha(n) autorizado a usuarios internos y externos de la institución a consultar el contenido de este documento a través del Catálogo en línea de la Biblioteca y el Repositorio Institucional en la página Web de la Biblioteca, así como en las redes de información del país y del exterior, con las cuales tenga convenio la Universidad de La Sabana. Se permite la consulta a los usuarios interesados en el contenido de este documento, para todos los usos que tengan finalidad académica, nunca para usos comerciales, siempre y cuando mediante la correspondiente cita bibliográfica se le dé crédito al trabajo de grado y a su autor. De conformidad con lo establecido en el artículo 30 de la Ley 23 de 1982 y el artículo 11 de la Decisión Andina 351 de 1993, La Universidad de La Sabana informa que los derechos sobre los documentos son propiedad de los autores y tienen sobre su obra, entre otros, los derechos morales a que hacen referencia los mencionados artículos.
Starting a teacher education program, for many, begins an entirely new adventure – the route to b... more Starting a teacher education program, for many, begins an entirely new adventure – the route to becoming a special kind of professional person. The application process foregrounds the many, varied and rich building blocks each future teacher brings to bear on their future learning project including things like growing up with a mother as a teacher, having served in the Peace Corp, teaching or developing summer camps, working 20 years as an engineer, or earning a bachelor’s degree in environmental science.
Peter Lang New York, 2011
Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 2024
We find ourselves at a time when the need for transformation in science education is aligning wit... more We find ourselves at a time when the need for transformation in science education is aligning with opportunity. Significant science education resources, namely the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and the Ambitious Science Teaching (AST) framework, need an intentional aim of centering social justice for minoritized communities and youth as well as practices to enact it. While NGSS and AST provide concrete guidelines to support deep learning, revisions are needed to explicitly promote social justice. In this study, we sought to understand how a commitment to social justice, operationalized through culturally sustaining pedagogy (Paris, Culturally sustain- ing pedagogies and our futures. The Educational Forum, 2021; 85, pp. 364–376), might shape the AST framework to promote more critical versions of teaching science for equity. Through a qualitative multi-case study, we observed three preservice teacher teams engaged in planning, teaching, and debriefing a 6-day summer camp in a rural community. Findings showed that teachers shaped the AST sets of practices in ways that sustained local culture and addressed equity aims: anchoring scientific study in phenomena important to community stakeholders; using legitimizing students' stories by both using them to plan the following lessons and as data for scientific argumentation; introducing local community members as scientific experts, ultimately supporting a new sense of pride and advocacy for their community; and supporting students in publicly communicating their developing scientific expertise to community stakeholders. In shaping the AST framework through culturally sustaining pedagogy, teachers made notable investments: developing local networks; learning about local geography, history, and culture; building relationships with students; adapting lessons to incorporate students' ideas; connecting with community stakeholders to build scientific collaborations; and preparing to share their work publicly with the community. Using these findings, we offer a justice-centered ambitious science teaching (JuST) framework that can deliver the benefits of a framework of practices while also engaging in the necessarily more critical elements of equity work.
We find ourselves at a time when the need for transformation in science education is aligning wit... more We find ourselves at a time when the need for transformation in science education is aligning with opportunity. Significant science education resources, namely the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and the Ambitious Science Teaching (AST) framework, need an intentional aim of centering social justice for minoritized communities and youth as well as practices to enact it. While NGSS and AST provide concrete guidelines to support deep learning, revisions are needed to explicitly promote social justice. In this study, we sought to understand how a commitment to social justice, operationalized through culturally sustaining pedagogy (Paris, Culturally sustaining pedagogies and our futures. The Educational Forum, 2021; 85, pp. 364-376), might shape the AST framework to promote more critical versions of teaching science for equity. Through a qualitative multi-case study, we observed three preservice teacher teams engaged in planning, teaching, and debriefing a 6-day summer camp in a rural community. Findings showed that teachers shaped the AST sets of practices in ways that sustained local culture and addressed equity aims: anchoring scientific study in phenomena important to community stakeholders; using legitimizing students' stories by both using them to
We find ourselves at a time when the need for transformation in science education is aligning wit... more We find ourselves at a time when the need for transformation in science education is aligning with opportunity. Significant science education resources, namely the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and the Ambitious Science Teaching (AST) framework, need an intentional aim of centering social justice for minoritized communities and youth as well as practices to enact it. While NGSS and AST provide concrete guidelines to support deep learning, revisions are needed to explicitly promote social justice. In this study, we sought to understand how a commitment to social justice, operationalized through culturally sustaining pedagogy (Paris, Culturally sustaining pedagogies and our futures. The Educational Forum, 2021; 85, pp. 364-376), might shape the AST framework to promote more critical versions of teaching science for equity. Through a qualitative multi-case study, we observed three preservice teacher teams engaged in planning, teaching, and debriefing a 6-day summer camp in a rural community. Findings showed that teachers shaped the AST sets of practices in ways that sustained local culture and addressed equity aims: anchoring scientific study in phenomena important to community stakeholders; using legitimizing students' stories by both using them to
Proceedings for International Conference of the Learning Sciences, 2024
Core teaching practices, consisting of strategies, routines, and tools, are effective supports fo... more Core teaching practices, consisting of strategies, routines, and tools, are effective supports for teachers in developing competence with pedagogical practice that centers collaborative student sensemaking with disciplinary ideas and practices. Though these practices can nurture diverse students' access, achievement, and identities in science, they stop short of meeting more critical demands of equity, namely that of challenging and expanding what counts as science and using science as part of social justice movements. The Justice-Centered Ambitious Science Teaching framework presented below was empirically developed yet theoretically aligned with the current priorities related to justice-centered teaching. This framework offers teachers core practices as scaffolds for centering justice in planning and instruction for science learning.
International Journal of Science Education, Jul 2, 2007
... The National Science Education Standards *Corresponding author. Teaching & Curriculum... more ... The National Science Education Standards *Corresponding author. Teaching & Curriculum, Dewey Hall 1-160L, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627, USA. Email:[email protected] Page 2. 1134 AL Luehmann and D. Markowitz ...
Science Education, 2007
Concepts and findings from research on identity development are employed to better understand why... more Concepts and findings from research on identity development are employed to better understand why current science teacher preparation programs are failing to prepare teachers who are able and choose to implement the vision for science education articulated in professional standards. Identity theory is used as a theoretical lens to make sense of and better address some of the unique challenges of becoming a reform-minded science teacher, a professional identity that does not reflect the common norm in the profession; these challenges include the emotional risk and possible need for "repair work," lack of familiarity with and buy-in into complex practices of inquiry, and the need for opportunities to participate in competent practice and have this participation acknowledged. Two basic design principles for science teacher preparation are identified as a result of this analysis: (a) the need to create safe places and scaffolded ways for beginning science teachers to try on and develop their identities as reform-minded science teachers, which may include capitalizing on the unique opportunities of practice teaching in out-of-school contexts; and (b) the need to offer opportunities to be recognized, by self and others, as reform-minded teachers through ongoing, structured, and supported reflection.
Uploads
Papers by April L Luehmann