View in EDS

Attending to Preservice Teachers' Assets: Beliefs and Practices for Supporting Expansive Sensemaking in Elementary Science

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Attending to Preservice Teachers' Assets: Beliefs and Practices for Supporting Expansive Sensemaking in Elementary Science
Language: English
Authors: Jessica Bautista (ORCID 0000-0001-9029-0205), Elizabeth A. Davis (ORCID 0000-0002-4984-0209)
Source: Science Education. 2026 110(3):756-779.
Availability: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 24
Publication Date: 2026
Sponsoring Agency: National Science Foundation (NSF), Discovery Research PreK-12 (DRK-12)
Contract Number: 2246607
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Elementary Education
Descriptors: Preservice Teachers, Student Attitudes, Beliefs, Elementary School Science, Science Teachers, Lesson Plans, Science Instruction, Teaching Methods, Justice, Cooperative Learning, Classroom Environment, Teacher Expectations of Students, Teacher Student Relationship, Teacher Education Programs
DOI: 10.1002/sce.70038
ISSN: 0036-8326
1098-237X
Abstract: Preservice elementary science teachers' beliefs and practices influence the kinds of adaptations they make to curriculum materials and the extent to which they are able to enact justice-oriented science lessons. Through this qualitative study, we explored the beliefs and practices of five focal preservice teachers through an analysis of their lesson plans, recorded enactments, and interviews about their science teaching throughout their student teaching experience. We developed a conceptual framework for "expansive sensemaking" that explores beliefs and practices related to four key themes, each of which work to center approaches to justice and equity in the context of sensemaking: (1) believing in children's brilliance, (2) building a collaborative classroom culture, (3) expanding what counts as science, and (4) positioning children as epistemic agents. While teachers varied in their beliefs about and approaches to each of these themes, they demonstrated strengths that illustrate what may be possible for early career teachers, like working to integrate many ways of knowing and being into science lessons, connecting to embodied knowledge, or supporting children to be scientific decision-makers. We discuss implications for teacher preparation programs and for theory development related to justice-oriented teaching in general and expansive sensemaking in particular.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1502185
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
Header DbId: eric
DbLabel: ERIC
An: EJ1502185
AccessLevel: 3
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Attending to Preservice Teachers' Assets: Beliefs and Practices for Supporting Expansive Sensemaking in Elementary Science
– Name: Language
  Label: Language
  Group: Lang
  Data: English
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Jessica+Bautista%22">Jessica Bautista</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9029-0205">0000-0001-9029-0205</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Elizabeth+A%2E+Davis%22">Elizabeth A. Davis</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4984-0209">0000-0002-4984-0209</externalLink>)
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Science+Education%22"><i>Science Education</i></searchLink>. 2026 110(3):756-779.
– Name: Avail
  Label: Availability
  Group: Avail
  Data: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
– Name: PeerReviewed
  Label: Peer Reviewed
  Group: SrcInfo
  Data: Y
– Name: Pages
  Label: Page Count
  Group: Src
  Data: 24
– Name: DatePubCY
  Label: Publication Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2026
– Name: SourceSuprt
  Label: Sponsoring Agency
  Group: SrcSuprt
  Data: National Science Foundation (NSF), Discovery Research PreK-12 (DRK-12)
– Name: NumberContract
  Label: Contract Number
  Group: NumCntrct
  Data: 2246607
– Name: TypeDocument
  Label: Document Type
  Group: TypDoc
  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
– Name: Audience
  Label: Education Level
  Group: Audnce
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Higher+Education%22">Higher Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Postsecondary+Education%22">Postsecondary Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Elementary+Education%22">Elementary Education</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Descriptors
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Preservice+Teachers%22">Preservice Teachers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Student+Attitudes%22">Student Attitudes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Beliefs%22">Beliefs</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Elementary+School+Science%22">Elementary School Science</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Science+Teachers%22">Science Teachers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Lesson+Plans%22">Lesson Plans</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Science+Instruction%22">Science Instruction</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teaching+Methods%22">Teaching Methods</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Justice%22">Justice</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Cooperative+Learning%22">Cooperative Learning</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Classroom+Environment%22">Classroom Environment</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teacher+Expectations+of+Students%22">Teacher Expectations of Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teacher+Student+Relationship%22">Teacher Student Relationship</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teacher+Education+Programs%22">Teacher Education Programs</searchLink>
– Name: DOI
  Label: DOI
  Group: ID
  Data: 10.1002/sce.70038
– Name: ISSN
  Label: ISSN
  Group: ISSN
  Data: 0036-8326<br />1098-237X
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Preservice elementary science teachers' beliefs and practices influence the kinds of adaptations they make to curriculum materials and the extent to which they are able to enact justice-oriented science lessons. Through this qualitative study, we explored the beliefs and practices of five focal preservice teachers through an analysis of their lesson plans, recorded enactments, and interviews about their science teaching throughout their student teaching experience. We developed a conceptual framework for "expansive sensemaking" that explores beliefs and practices related to four key themes, each of which work to center approaches to justice and equity in the context of sensemaking: (1) believing in children's brilliance, (2) building a collaborative classroom culture, (3) expanding what counts as science, and (4) positioning children as epistemic agents. While teachers varied in their beliefs about and approaches to each of these themes, they demonstrated strengths that illustrate what may be possible for early career teachers, like working to integrate many ways of knowing and being into science lessons, connecting to embodied knowledge, or supporting children to be scientific decision-makers. We discuss implications for teacher preparation programs and for theory development related to justice-oriented teaching in general and expansive sensemaking in particular.
– Name: AbstractInfo
  Label: Abstractor
  Group: Ab
  Data: As Provided
– Name: DateEntry
  Label: Entry Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2026
– Name: AN
  Label: Accession Number
  Group: ID
  Data: EJ1502185
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=EJ1502185
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1002/sce.70038
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 24
        StartPage: 756
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Preservice Teachers
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Student Attitudes
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Beliefs
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Elementary School Science
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Science Teachers
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Lesson Plans
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Science Instruction
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Teaching Methods
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Justice
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Cooperative Learning
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Classroom Environment
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Teacher Expectations of Students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Teacher Student Relationship
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Teacher Education Programs
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Attending to Preservice Teachers' Assets: Beliefs and Practices for Supporting Expansive Sensemaking in Elementary Science
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Jessica Bautista
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Elizabeth A. Davis
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 05
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-print
              Value: 0036-8326
            – Type: issn-electronic
              Value: 1098-237X
          Numbering:
            – Type: volume
              Value: 110
            – Type: issue
              Value: 3
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Science Education
              Type: main
ResultId 1