Overview

With her background in laboratory research, two science degrees, and nearly two decades as a secondary science teacher, Barbara Crawford is one of the few researchers addressing the inconsistency between the nature of scientific inquiry and the classroom teaching of scientific inquiry, a critical issue raised by prominent national organizations. The National Science Foundation supports Crawford's work. There is evidence that her work in the area of understanding and enhancing teachers' understandings of scientific inquiry and the nature of science, and in particular models and modeling, is having an impact at the international level. Dr. Crawford's research findings connected to teachers' knowledge of models and modeling indicate that software scaffolds can support prospective teachers in building and testing dynamic models of scientific phenomena, something prospective teachers report never having done in their undergraduate science coursework. Dr. Crawford was elected to the Board of Directors of the National Association of Research in Science Teaching (NARST), and serves as chair of the NARST Publications Advisory Committee and Editor of the E-NARST News.

Research Focus

The ultimate goal of Dr. Crawford`s research is to facilitate the majority of students in science classrooms in developing images of science consistent with current practice, and in understanding what science is, what science is not, and the relevancy of science to society. In order to accomplish this goal, she has focused on researching teachers' knowledge and beliefs of scientific inquiry and the nature of science. Crawford believes that one of the most important issues in science education reform is how to move teachers towards an inquiry orientation. An assumption of her work is that teachers cannot change their current practice of teaching science as a rhetoric of facts to teaching science as inquiry, without having a deep understanding of the nature of scientific inquiry. Another assumption is that teachers need to hold beliefs that teaching science as inquiry is as important as teaching the subject matter of science (for example, the facts and principles of earth and space science, biology, physics, and chemistry). Dr. Crawford`s research examines viable ways to support prospective and practicing teachers' in developing knowledge of scientific inquiry and beliefs that teaching about scientific inquiry is important. An extension of this research connects with the teaching of evolution in public school classrooms. The context for professional development is situating teachers in authentic settings. Authentic settings include both scientific research settings and alternative experiences using learning technologies.

Instruction Focus

Dr. Crawford teaches courses in teaching and learning in agriculture science, mathematics, and science, as well as supervising field experience for students in the Cornell Teacher Education Program. Last semester she developed a new course at Cornell, Innovative Teaching in the Sciences, that has received a great deal of interest in the Cornell Community. The course intends to engage graduate students from all areas of science in reading literature on how people learn science, and applying this to their own planning and critiquing of inquiry-based instruction.

Additional Links

• Education
• My Cornell Webpage
• My Cornell Webpage
• Link to CALS Research portal
• Link to CALS Impact statements

Honors, Awards and Appointments

• Provosts` Award for Collaboration, Science Education Group, The Pennsylvania State University. - 2000
• James B. Edmondson Award, Outstanding Dissertation Award for Secondary Curriculum and Instruction, School of Education, The University of Michigan (May 1996) - 1997
• Awarded Fellowship Grants/Scholarships for high academic achievement for doctoral study, School of Education, The University of Michigan. - 1991-1995
• Outstanding Supervisory Teacher Award, School of Education, The University of Michigan. - 1989

Selected Publications

• Crawford, B.A. (2007). Learning to teach science and inquiry in the rough and tumble of practice. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 44(4), 613-642.
• Crawford, B. A., Zembal-Saul, C., Munford, D., & Friedrichsen, P. (2005). Confronting prospective teachers' ideas of evolution and scientific inquiry using technology and inquiry-based tasks. Journal of Research in Science Teaching,42(6)613-637.
• Crawford, B. A. & Cullin, M. J. (2004). Supporting prospective teachers' conceptions of modelling in science. The International Journal of Science Education, 26(11), 1379-1401.
• Bell, R., Blair, L, Crawford, B., & Lederman, N. (2003). Just do it? The impact of a science apprenticeship program on high school students' understandings of the nature of science and scientific inquiry. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 40, 487-509.
• Zembal-Saul, C., Munford, D., Crawford, B., Friedrichsen, P., & Land, S. (2002). Scaffolding preservice science teachers` evidence-based arguments during an investigation of natural selection. Research in Science Education, 32, 437-463.
• Crawford, B.A., & Lunetta, V. (Fall, 2002). Promoting the development of a personal philosophy of teaching in prospective secondary science teachers. Pennsylvania Teacher Educator, 1, 68-74.
• Crawford, B.A. (2000) Making spaces and places for conversations about philosophy and expectations. Pennsylvania Educational Leadership 20(2), 18-19.
• Crawford, B.A. (2000) Embracing the essence of inquiry: New roles for science teachers. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 37, 916-937.

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