ORCID
Jennifer Jacobs: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2300-4771
Anna-Ruth Allen: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1294-6760
William Penuel: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7096-6669
Abraham Lo: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1365-0101
Abstract
This article presents a comparative case analysis of three U.S. rural science teachers who participated in an online course focused on designing assessments aligned with the Framework for K–12 Science Education and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Data from surveys, designed assessments, classroom observations, and interviews were used to investigate and compare these rural teachers’ experiences before, during, and after the course. This article describes the variations among rural science teachers in their local teaching contexts, relevant prior experiences, and how they engaged in and learned from professional development. The case study teachers entered the course with differences in their knowledge and professional learning opportunities related to the NGSS as well as in the degree to which they were connected with other science educators in their community or state. However, findings showed that all these teachers drew resourcefully on social and material supports provided by the course and made large shifts in their designed assessments. In some cases, teachers’ beliefs and practices changed as well. This study highlights the unique backgrounds of each teacher and the variation in their growth trajectories, as they entered and exited the course in different places along their journey toward gaining expertise in science assessment. We argue that professional learning opportunities for rural science teachers should be designed to leverage and support the breadth of assets and needs that vary between distinct rural communities.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Glidewell, L.,
Jacobs, J.,
Allen, A.,
Penuel, W.,
&
Lo, A. S.
(2025).
A Comparative Case Analysis of Rural Science Teachers’ Experiences with Professional Learning.
The Rural Educator, 46(3), 43-59.
https://doi.org/10.55533/2643-9662.1529
