Becoming a Responsive Science Teacher

“No one would find it strange to see a geologist poring at length over a single rock, or an entomologist over a moth, or botanist over a leaf. Examining a specimen closely can help scientists develop new understandings. That’s just what we hope to achieve in poring over moments of student thinking.” —From Becoming a Responsive Science Teacher


Becoming a Responsive Science Teacher offers

• A philosophical framework for understanding the beginnings of scientific thinking in high school students.

• Five real-life case studies, four of which are captured on videos—and accompanying transcripts—stored on the NSTA website.

• Suggestions for how to use the case studies to practice recognizing, interpreting, and responding to the vital nuances of your own students’ thinking in real time.

• Advice on next steps, including how to overcome systemic impediments and maintain your focus on student thinking.


Becoming a Responsive Science Teacher is ideal for teacher educators as well as current and preservice teachers. The book holds out the promise that when you consciously strive to help students work through their ideas about science, the result can be more effective instruction from you—and much deeper understanding for your students.