Program Conceptual Framework
Science Education, Grades 8-12
Initial Teacher Preparation
Fall 2006
The Science Education Program at the University of Kentucky operates under the umbrella of the Master of Arts
in Education including initial certification. Science education candidates may pursue program completion in
Biology Education, Chemistry Education, Earth Science Education, and Physics Education, depending on their
subject matter background and personal interests. Although all science education candidates complete similar
science education activities and complete the same subject pedagogy courses, they focus on the national and
state standards associated with their particular science discipline(s).
Integration of Unit Conceptual Framework in Science Education Program
The conceptual framework for the Science Education Program integrates themes and components from the unit
conceptual framework; the mission and vision of the institution, the unit, and the Department of Curriculum and
Instruction; the standards of the National Science Teachers Association; the Kentucky New Teacher Standards,
the Unit Functional Skills and Dispositions, and the Unit Technology Standards.
The conceptual framework that guides the program is aligned closely with the unit conceptual framework, which
is reflected in the following abstract:
The conceptual framework for the professional education unit at the University of Kentucky (UK)
is guided by the theme, Research and Reflection for Learning and Leading. This theme is aligned
closely with both the institutional vision and mission of UK and the vision and mission of the
professional education unit. The theme reflects and guides how we approach preparation of
professional educators within the context of a research extensive, land grant university.
Research is a valued activity and tool within UK’s educator preparation programs. Faculty and
candidates generate scientific research using a wide range of research methodologies and
contribute to the professional literature. Programs use practitioner inquiry and data-based
instructional models in applied settings to enhance student learning and professional
development. Research findings from the entire field of education inform design of courses,
selection of interventions, and features of professional education programs.
Reflection is a long-standing aspect of UK’s educator preparation programs and is, in our view, a
hallmark of professional practice. Reflective assessment of performance, outcomes, and
approaches to problems is a dynamic process appropriate for faculty, experienced educators, and
candidates in initial stages of their careers. Candidates are expected to complete numerous
reflective activities as they work to meet standards; the goal is to prepare educators who are
capable of analysis and problem-solving that will result in improving educational practices and
outcomes.
Learning is included as a component within our conceptual framework to underscore our
commitment to the many facets of learning and to highlight the ways in which our programs
conceptualize, promote, and accomplish learning. As a unit, we do not share a single theoretical
view of learning. Faculty and candidates conceptualize learning using a wide range of
perspectives including behavioral, constructivist, and social. We believe that our diversity of
thought enriches and strengthens our unit. The reference to learning in our conceptual framework
encompasses learning among all those who participate in our educator preparation programs and
those who are affected by the educational efforts of our faculty and candidates.
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Leading is an expectation that faculty hold for ourselves and an outcome that we promote among
our candidates. As members of the educational community at Kentucky’s flagship university, we
believe it is our obligation and privilege to provide leadership in educational policies and
practices across levels and dimensions of universities, schools, and agencies. We believe that as
leaders and followers work together to improve student learning among diverse student
populations, we can obtain positive results that improve education in Kentucky and beyond.
The four elements of our conceptual framework are synergistic and mutually supportive of our
work. Taken as a whole, research, reflection, learning, and leading provide a strong conceptual
basis and functional framework for the preparation of educators at the University of Kentucky.
Institutional and Unit Vision, Mission, and Values
In conjunction with the unit conceptual framework, the vision and missions of the University of Kentucky, the
professional education unit, and the Department of Curriculum and Instruction also guide the Science Education
Program. These vision and mission statements are described as follows:
Vision of the Institution
The University of Kentucky will be one of the nation's 20 best public research universities, an institution
recognized world-wide for excellence in teaching, research, and service and a catalyst for intellectual, social,
cultural, and economic development.
Mission of the Institution
The University of Kentucky is a public, research-extensive, land grant university dedicated to improving
people's lives through excellence in teaching, research, health care, cultural enrichment, and economic
development.
The University of Kentucky:
 Facilitates learning, informed by scholarship and research.
 Expands knowledge through research, scholarship, and creative activity.
 Serves a global community by disseminating, sharing, and applying knowledge.
The University, as the flagship institution, plays a critical leadership role for the Commonwealth by
contributing to the economic development and quality of life within Kentucky's borders and beyond. The
University nurtures a diverse community characterized by fairness and equal opportunity.
Values of the Institution
The values of the University guide its decisions and the behavior of its community. Its core values are:
 Integrity
 Academic excellence and academic freedom
 Mutual respect and human dignity
 Embracing diversity
 Personal and institutional responsibility and accountability
 Shared governance
 A sense of community
 Sensitivity to work-life concerns
 Civic responsibility
 Service to society
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Vision of the Professional Education Unit
The College of Education at the University of Kentucky will become one of the nation's 20 best public
professional education units with emphasis on research, reflection, learning, and leading in service to the
Commonwealth, the nation, and the world.
Mission of the Professional Education Unit
The College of Education endeavors to expand the knowledge of teaching and learning processes across a broad
educational spectrum. The college fosters a culture of reflective practice and inquiry within a diverse community
of students, faculty, and staff. As part of a research-extensive university, the college advances knowledge
through research. As part of a land grant institution, the college prepares professionals for a variety of roles in
educational settings and community agencies and provides leadership in the improvement of the education,
health, and well being of citizens in the Commonwealth, the nation, and the world.
Values of the Professional Education Unit
In addition to embracing the values of the university, faculty in the College of Education prepared a statement of
core values—attitudes, behaviors, and commitments—that demonstrate our shared vision of becoming a
nationally recognized college of education:
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Service to the diverse needs and aspirations of candidates and faculty
Adherence to professional and state standards for education professions
Participation in generating and evaluating educational initiatives and policies
Generation and application of scientific and practitioner research
Professional reflection to ensure continuous growth and improvement
Encouragement of lifetime learning and wellness
Leadership for educative growth.
Mission of the Department of Curriculum and Instruction
The mission of the Department of Curriculum and Instruction is to 1) design, develop, and implement programs
that will improve the quality of elementary, middle, and secondary education and provide educational leaders; 2)
prepare teachers and provide continuing professional development; 3) conduct and disseminate research; and 4)
provide services in a variety of educational and professional settings.
Mission of the Science Education Program
The Science Education Program is designed to give candidates the theoretical background and practical skills
needed to become effective science teachers. Candidates are introduced to a wide range of instructional
materials and ideas that provide opportunities to make decisions relative to appropriate “hands on” and
investigative activities for high school students. Candidates are encouraged to be creative and reflective in
developing, implementing, and evaluating plans for teaching secondary school science concepts and skills. A
strong emphasis is placed upon teaching the processes of science as well as the content of science. Candidates
are expected to have high expectations of all students and provide effective instruction for diverse groups of
students. Candidates are encouraged to prepare themselves for leadership roles in the schools in which they will
serve.
Knowledge Bases for the Science Education Program
The Masters with Initial Certification (MIC) Program and the Science Education Program draw heavily upon
what is known about effective teaching and schools. Readings and discussions include a wide range of
resources including, but not limited to, philosophy and history of education, working with students from diverse
backgrounds, effective teaching strategies, achievement gap, ethics of teaching, intelligence and technology,
multicultural issues, asking and answering action research questions, development, learning, motivation, and
goals and strategies of teaching high school science.
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Supporting research and literature for candidates in the Science Education Program are reflected in the reference
list at the end of this document.
Performance Standards in the Science Education Program
The Science Education Program aligns its curriculum and experiences with, and expects candidates to meet, the
following performance standards: the Kentucky New Teacher Standards, the Unit Functional Skills and
Dispositions, the Unit Technology Standards, and the National Science Teachers Association/National Council
for Accreditation of Teacher Education Secondary Science Education Standards. Please refer to the Program
Review Document to review alignment of curriculum and experiences with these respective standards sets.
Integration of the Curriculum and Assessment System
The Science Education Program for initial preparation and certification enables candidates to meet required
standards for new teacher practice, leadership, research, and reflective practice through a variety of designed
program experiences. The program allows candidates to integrate a number of ideas related to content and
professional knowledge. With the exception of six hours of graduate content work, content preparation occurs
prior to admission to the teacher preparation program. The program provides a variety of course work leading
to a functional knowledge of student learning, development, and motivation relative to teaching the content area.
A large block of field experiences coupled with classroom work enables candidates to meet program goals and
standards through performance.
Candidate performance is evaluated through the continuous assessment system and numerous products produced
during their work. Assessments include interviews, project feedback, and an extensive use of the portfolio.
Information gleaned from candidate work is used to make adjustments in activities and experiences provided for
candidates. In addition, there is a close working relationship between university faculty and colleagues in the
field. Practicing teachers are encouraged to provide feedback regarding strengths and weaknesses of the
program and ways in which the preparation of teachers might be improved. Candidates being observed by
university supervisors provide systematic feedback regarding needs for modifying and improving the teacher
preparation program.
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References
Cohort Classes:
Dewey, John. (1938, 1998). Experience and Education. 60th Anniversary Ed. West Lafayette, Indiana: Kappa
Delta Pi.
Gaines, Ernest J. (1993). A Lesson Before Dying. New York: Vintage.
Hersch, Patricia. (1999). A Tribe Apart: A Journey into the Heart of American Adolescence. NY: Ballantine.
Ornstein, Allan C., Lasley II, Thomas J. & Mindes, Gale. (2006). Secondary and Middle School Methods.
Boston: Pearson, Allyn & Bacon.
Soder, Roger, Ed. (1996). Democracy, Education, and the Schools. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Strike, Kenneth & Soltis, Jonas F. (2004). The Ethics of Teaching. 4th Ed. New York: Teachers College
Press.
Technology Education:
Sternberg, Robert J. & Preiss, David D., Eds. (2005). Intelligence and Technology. The Impact of Tools on the
Nature and Development of Human Abilities. Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Multicultural Education/Campbellsville Project:
Gollnick, Donna M. & Chinn, Philip C. (2006). Multicultural Education in a Pluralistic Society. 7th Ed.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson, Merrill Prentice Hall.
Core Seminar, Spring:
Falk, Beverly & Blumenreich, Megan. (2005). The Power of Questions. A Guide to Teacher and Student
Research. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Social Foundations:
PBS Series, School: The Story of American Public Education (2001). The attendant reader of the same title by
Sarah Mondale (Beacon Press, 2001), is also recommended.
Special Education:
Blackboard: Access via https://myuk.uky.edu or http://elearning.uky.edu
Rose, David H. and Meyer Anne (2002) Teaching Every Student in the Digital Age: Universal Design for
Learning. ASCD: ISBN: 0-87120-599-8.
Educational Psychology (Development, Motivation, and Learning):
Mayer, R.E. (2001). What good is educational psychology? The case of cognition and instruction. Educational
Psychologist, 36(2), 83-88.
Behavioral Learning Theory Web Quest http://suedstudent.syr.edu/~ebarrett/ide621/behavior.htm
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Cognitive Theory Web Quest http://suedstudent.syr.edu/~ebarrett/ide621/cognitive.htm
Social Learning Theory Web Quest http://suedstudent.syr.edu/~ebarrett/ide621/social.htm
Huitt, W. (1997). Motivation to learn: An overview. Educational Psychology Interactive. Valdosta, GA:
Valdosta State University. http://chiron.valdosta.edu/whuitt/col/
Maehr, M.L. & Midgley, C. Enhancing student motivation: A Schoolwide approach. Educational Psychologist
26, 3 & 4 (1991): 399-427.
Furrer, C. & Skinner, E. (2003). Sense of relatedness as a factor in children’s academic engagement and
performance. Journal of Educational Psychology, 95(1), 148-162.
Learner-Centered Psychological Principles www.apa.org/ed/lcp2/lcp14.html
Brett, A., Smith, M., Price, E., & Huitt, W. (2003). The affective domain. Educational Psychology Interactive.
Valdosta, GA: Valdosta State University. Retrieved from
http://chiron.valdosta.edu/whuitt/col/affsys/affsys.html.
Huitt, W. (1997). Socioemotional development. Educational Psychology Interactive. Valdosta, GA: Valdosta
State University. Retrieved from http://chiron.valdosta.edu/whuitt/col/affsys/erikson.html
Secondary Science Methods:
National Research Council (1996). National science education standards. Washington, DC: National
Academy Press. (http://www.nap.edu/readingroom/books/nses/html/)
Kentucky High School Core Science for Assessment for both Middle School and High School Science
http://www.education.ky.gov/users/jwyatt/CCA%204%201%20FINAL/CCA_41.doc
Kentucky Program of Studies (http://www.education.ky.gov/users/jwyatt/POS/POS.pdf)
Kentucky New Teacher Standards http://www.kyepsb.net/teacherprep/newteacherstandards.asp#std.1 .
American Association for the Advancement of Science. (1989). Science for all Americans: A project 2061
report on literacy goals in science, mathematics, and technology. Washington, DC: American
Association for the Advancement of Science.
American Association for the Advancement of Science. (1993). Benchmarks for science literacy. New York:
Oxford University Press
Appel, Kenneth, John Gastineua, Clarence Bakken, David Vernier. (2003). Physics with Computers.
Beaverton, Oregon: Vernier Software & Technology.
Billmeyer, Rachel., Mary Lee Barton. (1998). Teaching reading in the content areas: If not me, then who?. 2nd
Edition. Mid-Continent Regional Educational Laboratory.
Driver, Rosalind., Ann Squires, Peter Rushworth, Valerie Wood-Robinson. (1994). Making Sense of secondary
science: Research into children’s ideas. : reprinted 2005. New York: Routledge Falmer
Hazen, Robert M., James Trefil. (1991) Science Matters: Achieving scientific literacy. New York: Anchor
Books.
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Holmquist, Dan D. and Donald L. Volz. (2003). Chemistry with computers. 3rd Edition. Beaverton, Oregon:
Vernier Software & Technology.
Johnson, Robyn L., Gretchen Stahmer DeMoss, Richard Sorensen. (2003) Earth science with computers.
Beaverton, Oregon: Vernier Software & Technology.
Jones, L.R., I. Mullis, S.A. Raizen, I.R. Weiss, and E.A. Weston. (1992). The 1990 science report card:
NAEP’s assessment of fourth, eight, and twelfth graders. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of
Education.
Keeley, Page. (2005) Science Curriculum Topic Study: Bridging the gap between standards and practice.
Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin Press
Kober, Nancy. (1992). What we know about science teaching and learning. Washington, DC: Council for
Educational Development and Research.
Masterman, David and Scott Holman. (1997) Biology with Computers Using Logger Pro. Beaverton, Oregon:
Vernier Software
Morholt, E. and Paul Brandwein. (1989). A sourcebook for the biological sciences (third edition). San Diego:
Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc.
National Academy of Sciences. (1990). Fulfilling the promise: biology education in the nation’s schools.
Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
National Academy of Sciences. (1998). Teaching about evolution and the nature of science. Washington, DC:
National Academy Press.
National Research Council (2005). How students learn science in the classroom. Washington, DC: National
Academy Press.
National Research Council (1996). National science education standards. Washington, DC: National
Academy Press.
National Science Teachers Association. (1996). NSTA Pathways to the science standards: Guidelines for
moving the vision into practice. Arlington, Virginia: National Science Teachers Association.
Volz, Donald L. and Sandy Sapatka (2003). Physical science with computers. 3rd Edition. Beaverton, Oregon:
Vernier Software.
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