Bridging the Gap: Supporting Beginning Science Teachers

It is widely recognized that support systems for beginning science teachersfacilitate the process of socialization into the existing school culture (Atkinson D Gold, 1996; Henry, 1989; Loughran, 1994). Beginning scienceteachers need support as they struggle with the mechanics of implementing student-centered inquiry activities in teacher-centered environments (Loughran, 1994; SalishI Research Project, 1997; Sanford, 1988), and they need support as they confrontthe disparity between their student-centered ideology and their survival-basedteacher-centered practice (Salish I Research Project, 1997). Salish I Project (1997)researchers concluded, after following 300 induction science teachers from 11universities, that providing support for secondary science teachers during theirfirst three years is critical if they are to develop and maintain the inquiry-basedclassrooms described in the