The ADAPTATIONS blog advances research toward and replication of what works
in the education of STEM teachers for high-need school districts through sharing of evidence-based innovations
to encourage adaption and move forward collective evolution of effective preparation.
Interested in writing a blog post? The 2023 Call for Blog Authors is open now through December 1, 2022. Learn more.
Productive Struggle: An Opportunity for In-Depth Mathematics Learning
Struggle is a regular part of mathematics class: students struggle to get started, to carry out a process, to express misconceptions and errors, and with “uncertainty in explaining and sense-making” (Warshauer, 2015, p. 385). We have been investigating the struggles of prospective mathematics teachers (PTs) in a middle school methods course (Kamlue & Van Zoest,... Read More
Wherefore Art Thou, Physics Teacher?
Although it is perhaps a bit peculiar to apply Shakespeare to physics teaching career contemplations, the notoriously misinterpreted question of “Wherefore art thou?” begs us to look for answers in our students. We believe it is vital to scrutinize the “wherefores” of successful physics teachers, in both the classic meaning (why teach physics?) and the... Read More
Engineering Education for Autistic Children: Content, Pedagogy, and Assessment
Engineering learning is a lifelong process that starts from a very young age as children discover the world through tinkering, touching, and being curious. Some refer to children as natural engineers (Dorie et al., 2014; Genalo et al., 2000). Young children naturally and informally engage in engineering-related behaviors and activities (Petroski, 2003). However, at the... Read More
Exploring Culturally Responsive Science Teaching Through Turbulence and Challenge: Starting a Multi-year Research Study During the Pandemic
Inspired by a challenge to design a research study of teacher effectiveness based on measures beyond student test scores, we were awarded a Noyce Track 4 research grant from the National Science Foundation to explore teacher effectiveness through culturally responsive education and core practices. The first year of our study, Investigating Effective Teaching Through a... Read More
Student-Centered Computing: Teaching Computer Science Using Culturally Authentic Practices
Though women were once at the forefront of developing the disciplines of computer programming and software engineering (Berkeley School of Information, 2021), the computer science (CS) workforce in the US for the past three decades has become a field of mostly White and Asian men. In 2019, women made up 47% of the labor force,... Read More
Elevating Voices, Catalyzing Change: A Partnership Approach to Supporting K-8 Mathematics Teacher Leaders
Implementing equitable mathematics instruction is an ongoing, collective commitment that must be made by teachers, schools, districts, and beyond to ensure that each and every student has access to high-quality mathematics instruction. Investment solely by individual teachers is not enough. (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), 2020b, p. 62) So, how do we address... Read MoreAdditional Posts
Lessons Learned from Running a Scholarship Program for Undergraduate Pre-Service STEM Teachers | April 26, 2022
Consider the Source(s): Supporting the Cultivation of Early Career STEM Teachers’ Self-Efficacy Beliefs | March 28, 2022
Using the T.R.U.T.H. Framework to Advance Inclusive and Equitable Pedagogy in Education | February 2, 2022
Prototyping the STEMM K-12 Teachers of 2042 – Is It Possible? | January 20, 2022
What Preservice Teachers and Teacher Educators Can Learn from Trajectories | December 8, 2021
Simulations as a Platform for Understanding and Improving Teachers’ Classroom Skills | November 3, 2021
Don’t Give Up on Algebra: Let’s Shift the Focus to Instruction | September 22, 2021
Seeing As to Become As: Professional Vision Evolution as Part of Teacher Leader Development | September 1, 2021
The Equitable Classroom: What’s the Mathematical Education of Teachers Got to Do with It? | August 11, 2021
Preparing Pre-service Teachers for Success in Linguistically Diverse Science Classrooms | June 2, 2021
Broadening the Equity Lens for STEM Teacher Education: The Invisibility of Disability | April 28, 2021
Centering Youth Lives in Science Teacher Education | April 13, 2021
Pushing the Boundaries of Practice-Based Teacher Education: How Can Online Simulated Classrooms Be Used Productively to Support STEM Teacher Learning? | March 30, 2021
Reimagining the STEM Education Pipeline for Teachers of Color | February 16, 2021
How Can STEM Disciplines and STEM Education Work in Concert to Address Systemic Racism and the COVID-19 Pandemic? Creating a New Normal for STEM Education | January 26, 2021
Seizing Opportunities in 2021: Building on What We Know | January 6, 2021
Assuming Brilliance in Boys of Color in Our STEM Education Classrooms | December 9, 2020
What Are Teachers Learning About the Science of Learning? | November 20, 2020
Program Evaluation Frameworks: Why Do They Matter? | November 4, 2020
How Can We Disrupt Ideologies Around Normalcy, Difference, and Identity that Dis/able Students in Mathematics Education? | October 14, 2020
How Do Teachers Learn to Work Against Oppressive Systems? | September 29, 2020
Supporting Newly Hired Science Teachers for Continuous Learning | September 8, 2020
How to Center Equity and Humanize the Process of Coming Back Together: A Focus on Joy and Justice in STEM Education | August 14, 2020
Growing STAR Teacher-Researchers | July 8, 2020
Pre-Service Mathematics Teachers’ Learning About Equity: Methods and Early Results of Our Study | June 17, 2020
Unconscious Bias in the Classroom: How Cultural Stereotypes Affect Teachers’ Assessment of Students’ Math Abilities | May 27, 2020
How Can We Prepare Teachers to Embed a Virtuous Cycle of Self-Evaluation into Their Practice? | May 6, 2020
Is This “TRE” for Me? A Review of the Literature on Teacher Research Experiences and Impact on K-12 STEM Classrooms | April 6, 2020
What Do Preservice Science Teachers Understand about Principles of Effective Teaching for Diverse Learners? | February 26, 2020
Four Things You Need to Know about STEM and Education for 2020 | January 21, 2020
How Can Pre-service STEM Teachers Enact Project-Based Learning for Authentic Community Engagement? | December 30, 2019
STEM Professional Development That Works | November 13, 2019
How Can Elementary Teachers Improve Their Ability to Run Productive Science Discussions? | October 28, 2019
Opportunity to Learn Mathematics: Time, Task, & Talk | October 9, 2019
Preparing Our Next Generation of Science Teachers: What Should a Science Teacher Know and Be Able to Do? | September 25, 2019
Preparing New Teachers: How Collaboration Across Professional Associations Can Advance Technology Infusion | August 7, 2019
Bulldozing the STEM Silos in Omaha While Engaging P-12 Teachers and Building Campus STEM Excellence | March 25, 2019
Return on Investment: How do we know if we are preparing teachers who are ready for today’s classrooms? | January 25, 2019
Reflecting On Our Roots – Part Seventeen: Teachers for the 21st Century | September 13, 2018
