DISSERTATION PROPOSAL ANNOUNCEMENT Ed.D. Program Debbie Andres : “HUMANIZING PEDAGOGY FOR CRITICAL SCIENCE EDUCATION: A FRAMEWORK FOR THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF MIDDLE SCHOOL SCIENCE TEACHERS”

The underrepresentation of marginalized identities, such as women and people of color, continues to persist in the STEM workforce in the United States. One critical location for STEM development is the middle school (age 10-13) science classroom. Here, younger students are exposed to multiple fields of science each year, creating a rich opportunity to develop pedagogical practices that meet the needs of all learners. However, much of the recent work in the science classroom has been on student-based interventions, rather than focusing on teachers. This study proposes using a teacher-based intervention to mobilize those who play a key role in shaping the STEM learning environments – teachers – and the culture they create in their classrooms through their pedagogical practices. Unfortunately, many pedagogies focus on meeting standards, creating accountability, and teaching to the text: repressing our students’ abilities to become critical thinkers. They also lack context in the science classroom. The Humanizing Pedagogy for Critical Science Education (HPCSE) theoretical framework was developed to highlight three humanizing pedagogical practices contextualized for the science classroom: (1) challenging status quo knowledge, (2) centering content on students’ authentic lived experiences, and (3) helping students experience success by utilizing their class contributions. When enacted together, these can lead to students’ critical engagement in the scientific inquiry of their surrounding environments. This mixed-methods intervention design study aims to determine the effects of a teacher intervention program on middle school science teachers’ HPCSE practices and beliefs. The proposed program is a three-part professional development series focusing on each of the HPCSE practices that will occur during the school day. Additionally, teachers will reflect on how developing HPCSE practices could influence their beliefs on equity in the science classroom and the interactions these science teachers have with marginalized students in their classrooms.

To access the Zoom link required to attend this proposal, please contact academic.services@gse.rutgers.edu.