Who’s The Expert? Reconsidering Expertise in the Context of High School Science Teacher-Scientist Partnerships

Gilmore, S., Simmers, K., & Davidesco, I. (2024)

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Abstract:

Educators, researchers, and policymakers have emphasized the importance of engaging K-12 students in authentic science research experiences, but this can be challenging for teachers to implement in classrooms. Teacher-Scientist Partnerships (TSPs) could help address this challenge as they offer an opportunity for teachers (and, in some cases, their students) to collaborate with practicing scientists. In this paper, we explore how teachers and scientists engaged in a classroom-based TSP project understood their own and each others’ expertise, identify the effects of these understandings on their experiences, and provide insights into how viewing TSPs as Communities of Practice (COPs) can inform approaches to using and acknowledging teachers’ and scientists’ expertise for mutual benefit.