Preparing Pre-Service Teachers for Technology-Rich Science Teaching
Scholarship in Practice
Presenting at the Association for Science Teacher Education (ASTE) Conference on January 16, 2026, I shared findings from a mixed-methods study investigating the technology integration readiness of Generation Z pre-service elementary teachers in science education. In this presentation, I challenged the common assumption that Generation Z’s familiarity with digital technologies naturally prepares them for technology-rich teaching.
The study showed that although these future teachers are often described as “digital natives,” their personal comfort with technology does not automatically translate into pedagogical readiness for science teaching. The presentation highlighted four key findings: limited experience with science-specific technologies despite frequent personal technology use, a sharp confidence gap between basic and disciplinary tools, a tendency to prefer familiar and entertainment-oriented technologies, and a persistent gap between valuing technology and being prepared to use it instructionally.
This work underscores the need for teacher education programs to move beyond assumptions of digital nativity and to more intentionally cultivate science-specific technological pedagogical expertise.
At the ASTE Conference on January 17, 2026, I presented a self-study I conducted on my practice as I was integrating instructional technologies into a science content course for teaching pre-service elementary teachers. In this study, I used the Pedagogical Equilibrium framework (Mansfield, 2019) as both a conceptual and analytical lens to examine the tensions I was experiencing when integrating these technologies. Specifically, I looked at the tensions that emerged between my pedagogical beliefs and my enacted instructional decisions.
The findings highlighted two central tensions: (1) a misalignment between my constructivist belief in modeling authentic scientific practices and my initial use of technology as a confirmatory tool, and (2) conflicting pedagogical perspectives within my teaching team. In response to these tensions, I engaged in critical reflection and regular dialogue with my critical friend, which helped me reframe these dilemmas and identify pathways for growth. I developed several strategies to address these tensions, including exploration-first lesson design, scaffolded worksheets, targeted tool selection, and responsive instructional adjustments.
In this presentation, I discussed how intentional exploration into tensions between beliefs and practice can serve as a catalyst for professional learning for teacher educators.
Here, I was modeling how science is authentically practiced by engaging pre-service elementary teachers in a creek-based environmental investigation. In this experience, I guided students in collecting macroinvertebrates, identifying them with an aquatic species identification key, and using biological, physical, and chemical indicators to evaluate water quality.
The goal was to help them experience science firsthand, not simply as school knowledge, but as a process of inquiry grounded in observation, evidence collection, data organization, graphing, analysis, and explanation. By engaging in these practices, pre-service teachers were able to see how scientists investigate environmental questions and how evidence is used to construct scientific explanations.