Jeanna Wieselmann
Southern Methodist University, TX·Education Research
Science classes can engage students by having them discuss real-world problems where science matters. Leading those discussions well is a hard skill for new teachers, and teacher-preparation programs need good ways for them to practice it.
- Fields
Education Research
- Topics
STEM education
science education
teacher preparation
- Grants
- 1 known grant, through Sep 2029
What they work on
- Develop two practice formats for preservice science teachers, AI-driven virtual reality avatar simulations and scaffolded peer teaching, to build skill in leading discussions of real-world scientific problems.
- Compare the two formats' effects on about 250 undergraduate STEM education students at five institutions, using rubric-scored teaching performance at three timepoints, participant surveys and mentor feedback.
- Provide evidence on using scientifically relevant real-world problems in STEM teacher preparation, and share findings and open educational resources through publications, conferences and a public website.
More about the research
This collaborative project compares two ways for preservice teachers, college students training to teach science in K–12 schools, to rehearse these discussions before they reach a classroom.
Why it matters
Future K–12 science teachers need practice leading class discussions about real-world scientific problems. Evidence on whether AI-driven virtual reality simulations or scaffolded peer teaching works better could help teacher-preparation programs choose training methods. Their students would gain from better-prepared teachers, and the project's open educational resources will be freely available.
Known grants
From NIH and NSF research grants. Labs often have other funding we can't see.
Closest labs
Paige Evans
University of Houston, TX·Education Research
Analyze how STEM teacher preparation programs across a multi-university network affect teacher placement and retention in high-need school districts, using quantitative trend analysis.
Loralyn Cozy
Illinois Wesleyan University, IL·Education Research
Recruit and retain at least 11 high-achieving undergraduates as Noyce Scholars preparing to become secondary STEM teachers over a six-year period.
Jan Yow
University of South Carolina-Columbia, SC·Education Research
Develop 16 STEM teacher leaders from five South Carolina school districts through a three-year Ed.D. STEM program and a two-year Action Research Implementation program.
The school
Southern Methodist University: 7 labs on PI Pages, $63M a year on research, 136 research doctorates a year.
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