A Science Teacher's Teaching Moves about Low and High Achieving Students: A Belief System Approach

Abstract

Closing the science achievement gap between low achieving (LA) and high achieving (HA) students has become an important part of educational policies, particularly in Turkey. Bearing this in mind, the purpose of the present study is to reveal a science teacher’s teaching moves about LA and HA students and the pedagogical belief system behind these moves. This single case study relates to one science teacher (Mehmet), who performed explicit teaching moves. In order to determine the moves being used with LA and HA students, Mehmet is asked to write questions that he often uses in his lessons and explain the moves that he has applied during the questioning and solution phases. In addition, semi-structured interviews regarding teaching motivation, science teaching motivation, science teaching practices and beliefs about LA and HA students are conducted so as to reveal the belief-oriented background of these moves. The results show that the teaching moves varying according to the achievement differences is a complex phenomenon. Mehmet changes the structure of his scaffolding, his scientific practices and classroom technologies according to the achievement differences. He produces these teaching moves using a nested structure in which he contextualizes his teaching strategies in is daily science teaching practices.