Stephen Ritchie

Emotions and emotional climates are underesearched aspects of pre-service science teacher education. We explore pre-service science teachers’ perceptions of emotional climates in a science education class and their associated perceptions of quality learning experiences. We use data sources such as students’ perceptions of the emotional climate, analysis of conversation, and cogenerative dialog from multiple theoretical perspectives related to the sociology of emotions. Quality learning experiences as perceived by pre-service teachers included the professor’s science demonstrations, that were associated with highly positive emotional climate ratings, as well as the professor’s reflections on her practice, that were associated with lower ratings of emotional climate. We co-relate emotional climate data and students’ comments during cogenerative dialog to expand our understanding of quality experiences in science teacher education. Our study also contributes refinements to the theorization of emotional climate.

Emotion researchers have tended to aggregate discrete emotions (e.g., happiness, anger, fear, sadness, surprise, pride, shame and guilt) into two valenced dimensions; that is, positive and negative (e.g., Stets, 2010; Thamm, 2007). For example, the valence of happiness is positive whereas the valence of fear and anger is negative (Turner, 2002). This research practice can be problematic because different processes drive each emotion, leading to different outcomes, and the capacity to tease out these differences is diminished (Gooty, Gavin, & Ashanasy, 2009). Emotion researchers have tended to aggregate discrete emotions (e.g., happiness, anger, fear, sadness, surprise, pride, shame and guilt) into two valenced dimensions; that is, positive and negative (e.g., Stets, 2010; Thamm, 2007). For example, the valence of happiness is positive whereas the valence of fear and anger is negative (Turner, 2002). This research practice can be problematic because different processes drive each emotion, leading to different outcomes, and the capacity to tease out these differences is diminished (Gooty, Gavin, & Ashanasy, 2009)…

This study explores the development of a coding system for analysing test questions in two context-based chemistry exams. We describe our unique analytical procedures before contrasting the data from both tests. Our preliminary findings indicate that when a new curriculum is developed such as a context-based curriculum, teachers are required to combine the previously separate domains of context and concept to develop contextualised assessment. We argue that constructing contextualised assessment items requires teachers to view concepts and context as interconnected rather than as separate entities that may polarise scientific endeavour. Implications for theory, practice, curriculum and assessment-development in context-based courses are proposed.

Metaphoric thinking helps teachers (re)conceptualise their role and practice and it can promote professional reflection, research and change. These benefits are tied to "the metaphors we live by" because metaphor enables us to "conceptualise our experiences" and to pick "out what is 'important' in the experience" and "categorise the experience ... imension by dimension" (Lakoff & Johnson, 1980, p.83, 145). In this paper I discuss the process of and outcomes from beginning teachers sharing their stories about using analogies in science teaching and applying metaphors to guide their practice.