Date of Award
5-2026
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
School
Center for Science and Math Education
Committee Chair
Dr. Maria F.G. Wallace
Committee Chair School
Center for Science and Math Education
Committee Member 2
Dr. Rachel Gisewhite
Committee Member 2 School
Center for Science and Math Education
Committee Member 3
Dr. Kendrick Buford
Committee Member 3 School
Center for Science and Math Education
Committee Member 4
Dr. Allison Downing
Committee Member 4 School
Center for Science and Math Education
Abstract
This study aims to explore how pre-service elementary teachers experience teaching science in the context of an informal science learning environment through an interpretative phenomenological analysis. While opportunities to engage in teaching science for pre-service elementary teachers are often rare in formal school settings, informal science learning environments provide unique affordances for science learning that can render elementary teachers as more than capable of teaching science. The findings from this study aim to highlight how their experiences inform their identities and sense of agency as science teachers, their science teaching practices and engagement strategies, and their beliefs about the nature of science, knowledge and learning in informal teacher learning contexts.
Copyright
Abigail Launius, 2026
Recommended Citation
Launius, Abigail, "Rendered Capable: Expansivising Science Teacher Identities And Practices In Informal Science Environments" (2026). Dissertations. 2439.
https://aquila.usm.edu/dissertations/2439
Included in
Elementary Education Commons, Elementary Education and Teaching Commons, Science and Mathematics Education Commons