Hannah Cooke: “I sit here thinking I can do this” – Developing justice-centered ambitious science teaching identities in professional learning communities
Science Engineering & Technology Education Hybrid Seminar Series
Hannah Cooke
Doctoral Candidate
University of Connecticut
Abstract:
As science teachers continue to adjust to the Next Generation Science Standards, they are also called to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse student population. This case study investigated the identity development of 13 practicing science teachers as they collaborated in networked professional learning communities (PLCs) to identity justice-centered ambitious science teaching (JuST practices). Data sources included transcripts from 21 PLC meetings and three end-of-year-focus group interviews. We identified how specific aspects of the PLCs supported professional JuST identity by providing space and time for critical refection and sharing strategies for eliciting students’ assets. The structure of the PLC also positioned teachers as professionals capable of generating insight into JuST practice. This study reveals how PLCs can support teachers in negotiating their sense of equity and justice through curriculum adaptation and collaborative inquiry.
Speaker Bio:
Hannah Cooke is a doctoral candidate in Curriculum and Instruction with a focus on Science Education at the University of Connecticut. Her research interests include critical, antiracist science teaching that works to dismantle systems of oppression. She is a research assistant and project manager for the JuST Lab. Analyzing data from the JuST project, her dissertation considers the nuances of collaborative teacher learning around race and racism. Her former work as a high school science teacher and facilitator of the school’s Green Team led her to grapple with the role science educators play in advancing justice. She holds a MA in Curriculum and Instruction and a BS in Biological Sciences from the University of Connecticut.
Hybrid seminar
In person: CERAS 123
Lunch provided in person – RSVP here
