Fostering Preservice Teacher Identity in Science through a Student-Selected Project

by Donald J. Wink, Julie Ellefson, Marlynne Nishimura, Dana Perry, Stacy Wenzel, and Jeong-Hye Hwang Choe

This article addresses the problem of authentic student engagement in the science classroom by incorporating a semester- long research and writing assignment that enables students to investigate scientific topics related to strong personal, career, or health interests. Students practice self-reflexivity by journaling about their experiences in the course and with the assignment as the course unfolds. The article presents student voices from the journals to inform their discussion of their own reflections about the problems and promises of this assignment and demonstrates that teacher self-reflexivity requires acknowledging both successes and failures. This article helps us understand how reflexivity can be used to improve student engagement in general education courses, particularly those in which some students feel marginalized.