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Elizabeth A.C. Rushton is a Lecturer in Geography Education at King's College London, UK. She has worked within education as a secondary school geography teacher and as Director of the PGCE Geography programme at King's College London. Her research considers teacher identity and professional development and teacher and student participation in research.
Geography teachers have an important role within environmental education and, in England, are developing their professional identities at a time when environmental education is contested. This study considers the experiences of five trainee secondary school geography teachers who are all part of a university-based teacher education programme rooted in an environmental justice approach. Data is drawn from three interviews with each of five individuals over the course of their training (15 interviews in total) and participants’ written reflections. Findings include (1) teachers draw on a range of approaches to implement Environmental and Sustainability Education (ESE), (2) teachers share and value their own and their students’ stories of and personal connections with the environment and (3) teachers seek to enable young people to bring about change to their lives and communities. The contested nature of foregrounding ESE in the geography classroom is noted, as are the tensions and emotional load that teachers experience when seeking to develop their professional identity. Reflections are shared regarding the ways in which PGCE programmes provide teachers with opportunities to build ESE identities, in particular the role of semi-structured, reflexive interviews in providing an important space for identity work that could be usefully considered within the broader context of the newly implemented Early Career Teacher framework for England.
Elizabeth Rushton. Building Teacher Identity in Environmental and Sustainability Education: The Perspectives of Preservice Secondary School Geography Teachers. Sustainability 2021, 13, 5321 .
AMA StyleElizabeth Rushton. Building Teacher Identity in Environmental and Sustainability Education: The Perspectives of Preservice Secondary School Geography Teachers. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (9):5321.
Chicago/Turabian StyleElizabeth Rushton. 2021. "Building Teacher Identity in Environmental and Sustainability Education: The Perspectives of Preservice Secondary School Geography Teachers." Sustainability 13, no. 9: 5321.
This chapter presents the findings of the first of five themes, namely ‘freedom to teach’, as identified through the analysis of interviews with 53 research-active high school teachers and technicians. When describing the experience of research as part of their professional experience, ‘freedom’ was a word that was frequently used by teachers and technicians. Freedom was connected to diverse areas including (1) the flexibility of research projects as an approach to science education, (2) freedom from the constraints of curricula and external examinations and (3) the variety of teaching methods and approaches that are available when supporting school-based science research projects.
Elizabeth A. C. Rushton. Freedom to Teach. Science Education and Teacher Professional Development 2021, 81 -106.
AMA StyleElizabeth A. C. Rushton. Freedom to Teach. Science Education and Teacher Professional Development. 2021; ():81-106.
Chicago/Turabian StyleElizabeth A. C. Rushton. 2021. "Freedom to Teach." Science Education and Teacher Professional Development , no. : 81-106.
This chapter considers the challenging context of teacher recruitment and retention, which is particularly acute for science teachers, in the UK and beyond, and begins by briefly outlining the impacts that high teacher turnover has on students and teachers and situates this within the wider context of young people’s equitable participation in STEM education and careers. Subsequently, there is an exploration of a range of approaches that have been implemented to recruit and retain teachers including: financial incentives, alternative certification programmes and subject-specific continuing professional development programmes. Key concepts from professional learning are also considered, including teacher professional development and the place of mentoring, and coaching in the educational contexts.
Elizabeth A. C. Rushton. Science Education and Teacher Professional Development. Science Education and Teacher Professional Development 2021, 1 -32.
AMA StyleElizabeth A. C. Rushton. Science Education and Teacher Professional Development. Science Education and Teacher Professional Development. 2021; ():1-32.
Chicago/Turabian StyleElizabeth A. C. Rushton. 2021. "Science Education and Teacher Professional Development." Science Education and Teacher Professional Development , no. : 1-32.
This chapter outlines a set of common practices implemented by teachers and technicians who support school student independent research. The aim of sharing these practices is to provide teachers and technicians with framework against which to reflect upon their current practice and, also, to share ways of working that may further extend this aspect of their work. Research that has considered the pedagogy of supporting and mentoring undergraduate research has identified an effective practice that applies across disciplines and is not limited to science or STEM. In this chapter, the findings are grounded in the experience of high school science teachers and technicians; however, it is argued that as with the undergraduate context, these practices have relevance to a broad range of disciplines including the humanities and the creative arts.
Elizabeth A. C. Rushton. Developing Professional Practice as a Teacher Scientist. Science Education and Teacher Professional Development 2021, 227 -248.
AMA StyleElizabeth A. C. Rushton. Developing Professional Practice as a Teacher Scientist. Science Education and Teacher Professional Development. 2021; ():227-248.
Chicago/Turabian StyleElizabeth A. C. Rushton. 2021. "Developing Professional Practice as a Teacher Scientist." Science Education and Teacher Professional Development , no. : 227-248.
This chapter presents the findings of the fifth of five themes namely, ‘Student and/or societal development through research’, as identified through the analysis of interviews with 53 research-active high school teachers and technicians. In their descriptions of, and reflections upon, experiences of research projects, teachers and technicians frequently attributed their motivation and initial impetus to participate to the students they teach. Teachers and technicians saw research projects as a way of developing their students’ inquiry and communication skills and that research projects provided experiences where students could make wider connections, establish professional networks and gain experience of science research and careers. Beyond individual student development, research projects provided a pathway for young people and their teachers and technicians to provide solutions to problems that impact the wider world, such as disease, biodiversity loss and climate change.
Elizabeth A. C. Rushton. Student and Societal Development Through Research. Science Education and Teacher Professional Development 2021, 181 -203.
AMA StyleElizabeth A. C. Rushton. Student and Societal Development Through Research. Science Education and Teacher Professional Development. 2021; ():181-203.
Chicago/Turabian StyleElizabeth A. C. Rushton. 2021. "Student and Societal Development Through Research." Science Education and Teacher Professional Development , no. : 181-203.
This chapter outlines the research approaches, context, methods and results. This qualitative research is based upon semi-structured interviews with key informants, namely 53 high school science teachers and technicians that explored their experiences of being research active with their school students. These key informants were mainly recruited from a network of teachers and technicians supported by the Institute for Research in Schools (IRIS) and included high school teachers of biology, chemistry, physics, general science and psychology who were predominantly based in England and Scotland. Through a process of Reflexive Thematic Analysis (RTA) five superordinate themes were identified: (1) Freedom to teach, (2) (Re)connection with science and/or research, (3) Collaboration, (4) Professional development and (5) Student and/or societal development through research.
Elizabeth A. C. Rushton. Research Approach, Context, Methods and Results. Science Education and Teacher Professional Development 2021, 61 -80.
AMA StyleElizabeth A. C. Rushton. Research Approach, Context, Methods and Results. Science Education and Teacher Professional Development. 2021; ():61-80.
Chicago/Turabian StyleElizabeth A. C. Rushton. 2021. "Research Approach, Context, Methods and Results." Science Education and Teacher Professional Development , no. : 61-80.
This chapter presents the findings of the fourth of five themes namely, ‘Professional Development’, as identified through the analysis of interviews with 53 research-active high school teachers and technicians. Teachers and technicians identified three distinct aspects of professional development provided through participation in research projects including (1) the development of new or enhanced skills, including practical, interpersonal and subject knowledge, (2) increased recognition of their role and their subject, including the development of alternative pathways to professional development beyond traditional management routes and (3) research projects as a pedagogical approach to science education. As part of their reflections upon the role of research projects in their wider professional development, teachers and technicians also more frequently detailed the challenges they experienced, and these are also outlined in the latter part of this chapter.
Elizabeth A. C. Rushton. Professional Development. Science Education and Teacher Professional Development 2021, 151 -179.
AMA StyleElizabeth A. C. Rushton. Professional Development. Science Education and Teacher Professional Development. 2021; ():151-179.
Chicago/Turabian StyleElizabeth A. C. Rushton. 2021. "Professional Development." Science Education and Teacher Professional Development , no. : 151-179.
This chapter presents the findings of the third of five themes namely, ‘Collaboration’, as identified through the analysis of interviews with 53 research-active high school teachers and technicians. The term ‘collaboration’ is necessarily a broad one, and teachers and technicians who shared their experiences for this study described collaboration in three distinct ways: (1) collaboration as a new and different way of working with students, (2) working with external partners including scientists, university staff and teachers and students from other schools and (3) establishing and developing collaborative networks. Collaboration was recognised by many teachers and technicians as a key feature of what it is to undertake research and an aspect that was a positive experience that permeated across the school and wider STEM community.
Elizabeth A. C. Rushton. Collaboration. Science Education and Teacher Professional Development 2021, 129 -149.
AMA StyleElizabeth A. C. Rushton. Collaboration. Science Education and Teacher Professional Development. 2021; ():129-149.
Chicago/Turabian StyleElizabeth A. C. Rushton. 2021. "Collaboration." Science Education and Teacher Professional Development , no. : 129-149.
This chapter presents the findings of the second of five themes, namely ‘(Re)connection with science and/or research’, as identified through the analysis of interviews with 53 research-active high school teachers and technicians. Teachers and technicians described their (re)connection to science and research, in terms of not only the science subject(s) they taught but also a more fundamental connection to scientific inquiry, and this featured in the experiences of those with and without a PhD in a STEM field. Teachers outlined the different ways in which this process of (re)connection happened including (1) (Re)connection with science and research through participating in ‘discovery’, (2) (Re)connection with science and research through engaging in new subject knowledge, (3) (Re)connection with science and research through using novel equipment, (4) Research projects connecting teachers with their ‘roots’ as scientists and (5) Research projects reconnecting teachers with their prior experiences as scientists.
Elizabeth A. C. Rushton. (Re)connection with Science/Research. Science Education and Teacher Professional Development 2021, 107 -127.
AMA StyleElizabeth A. C. Rushton. (Re)connection with Science/Research. Science Education and Teacher Professional Development. 2021; ():107-127.
Chicago/Turabian StyleElizabeth A. C. Rushton. 2021. "(Re)connection with Science/Research." Science Education and Teacher Professional Development , no. : 107-127.
This chapter brings together the Social Identity Approach (SIA), with a focus on high school science teacher identity formation by describing the theoretical framework of the SIA and the application of the concepts of Identification, Ideation, Interaction, Influence and Ideology to the field of education. This chapter includes research that considers the role of the school environment, subject-specific mentoring and inquiry-based teaching approaches in shaping the professional identities of high school science teachers. Drawing on these literatures and debates provides a detailed context through which to understand both the development of science teachers’ identities and the contexts which shape this process of identity formation, including the importance of the roles of group membership and social identity.
Elizabeth A. C. Rushton. Science Teacher Identity. Science Education and Teacher Professional Development 2021, 33 -59.
AMA StyleElizabeth A. C. Rushton. Science Teacher Identity. Science Education and Teacher Professional Development. 2021; ():33-59.
Chicago/Turabian StyleElizabeth A. C. Rushton. 2021. "Science Teacher Identity." Science Education and Teacher Professional Development , no. : 33-59.
This chapter proposes a model of science teacher identity that teachers develop in the context of engagement with and participation in authentic research projects. This model of teacher scientist identity has three distinct but related facets: (1) inquiry identity, (2) subject identity and (3) social justice identity. Drawing on the social identity approach (SIA), the mechanisms of identification, ideation, interaction, influence and ideology enable individuals to develop their identity as a teacher scientist. This model of professional identity is also relevant to teachers of other disciplines as the facets of subject and social justice identity can be easily translated across to any high school subjects. So too, I argue is the facet of inquiry identity as, the act to discover more information, is a core facet of a model of teacher identity that is based in experiences of authentic research and/or creative practice, irrespective of the subject or discipline.
Elizabeth A. C. Rushton. A Model of the Teacher Scientist Identity. Science Education and Teacher Professional Development 2021, 205 -225.
AMA StyleElizabeth A. C. Rushton. A Model of the Teacher Scientist Identity. Science Education and Teacher Professional Development. 2021; ():205-225.
Chicago/Turabian StyleElizabeth A. C. Rushton. 2021. "A Model of the Teacher Scientist Identity." Science Education and Teacher Professional Development , no. : 205-225.
The environmental impact of the ancient Maya, and subsequent ecological recovery following the Terminal Classic decline, have been the key foci of research into socio-ecological interactions in the Yucatán peninsula. These foci, however, belie the complex pattern of resource exploitation and agriculture associated with post-Classic Maya societies and European colonisation. We present a high-resolution, 1200-year record of pollen and charcoal data from a 52-cm short core extracted from New River Lagoon, near to the European settlement of Indian Church, northern Belize. This study complements and extends a previous 3500-year reconstruction of past environmental change, located 1-km north of the new record and adjacent to the ancient Maya site of Lamanai. This current study shows a mixed crop production and palm agroforestry management strategy of the ancient Maya, which corroborates previous evidence at Lamanai. Comparison of the two records suggests that core agricultural and agroforestry activities shifted southwards, away from the centre of Lamanai, beginning at the post-Classic period. The new record also demonstrates that significant changes in land-use were not associated with drought at the Terminal Classic (ca. CE 1000) or the European Encounter (ca. CE 1500), but instead resulted from social and cultural change in the post-Classic period (CE 1200) and new economies associated with the British timber trade (CE 1680). The changes in land-use documented in two adjacent records from the New River Lagoon underline the need to reconstruct human–environment interactions using multiple, spatially, and temporally diverse records.
Elizabeth A. C. Rushton; Bronwen S. Whitney; Sarah E. Metcalfe. A Tale of Maize, Palm, and Pine: Changing Socio-Ecological Interactions from Pre-Classic Maya to the Present Day in Belize. Quaternary 2020, 3, 30 .
AMA StyleElizabeth A. C. Rushton, Bronwen S. Whitney, Sarah E. Metcalfe. A Tale of Maize, Palm, and Pine: Changing Socio-Ecological Interactions from Pre-Classic Maya to the Present Day in Belize. Quaternary. 2020; 3 (4):30.
Chicago/Turabian StyleElizabeth A. C. Rushton; Bronwen S. Whitney; Sarah E. Metcalfe. 2020. "A Tale of Maize, Palm, and Pine: Changing Socio-Ecological Interactions from Pre-Classic Maya to the Present Day in Belize." Quaternary 3, no. 4: 30.
Out-of-school making and engineering programmes that are frequently positioned as playful have increased dramatically in recent years – but how appropriate is the framing of play for engagement in these informal STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) spaces? Drawing on data from two research sites located in the UK, including observations of making and engineering activities with children aged 5–13 years, and interviews with nine key informants, we identify that play has three key affordances namely: (1) play can provide structure, (2) play is considered to be synonymous with open-ended science inquiry, and, (3) play can enable gender inclusive STEM spaces through promoting free-choice. We also note that overly simplistic framings of play may limit recognition by both adults and children of the educational value of these spaces and deny a fuller understanding of the opportunities that such spaces afford in providing children with moreopportunities to engage with STEM, particularly engineering. We suggest that play has an important pedagogical role in informal STEM activities, including making, when it is grounded in free-choice exploration and imagination. We argue for continued discussion and reflection upon both the value of play as a pedagogical vehicle and its affordances for enhancing youth engagement in STEM spaces.
Elizabeth A.C. Rushton; Heather King. Play as a pedagogical vehicle for supporting gender inclusive engagement in informal STEM education. International Journal of Science Education, Part B 2020, 10, 376 -389.
AMA StyleElizabeth A.C. Rushton, Heather King. Play as a pedagogical vehicle for supporting gender inclusive engagement in informal STEM education. International Journal of Science Education, Part B. 2020; 10 (4):376-389.
Chicago/Turabian StyleElizabeth A.C. Rushton; Heather King. 2020. "Play as a pedagogical vehicle for supporting gender inclusive engagement in informal STEM education." International Journal of Science Education, Part B 10, no. 4: 376-389.
Studies which consider science teacher identity continue to be a focus for education researchers, particularly given the persistent challenges to retain specialist science teachers. The proliferation of research in this area, without a unifying theoretical framework, has meant the literature is diverse, methodologies are varied, and coverage is patchy. This review article considers to what extent and in which ways the social identity approach (SIA) might provide a useful lens through which to consider middle and/or high school science teacher identity. In doing so, we synthesise the findings from 79 empirical and theoretical publications on science teacher identity in middle and/or high school settings, published since 2000. This review highlights the important role that shared identity and group membership play in developing and sustaining positive identities. We argue that the SIA provides education researchers with a greater understanding of how and why some middle and/or high school science teachers are able to form positive professional identities, whilst others are not. This understanding of both the importance of group membership in the social construction of identities and the processes through which memberships form could helpfully inform teacher education and professional development programmes.
Elizabeth A.C. Rushton; Michael J. Reiss. Middle and high school science teacher identity considered through the lens of the social identity approach: a systematic review of the literature. Studies in Science Education 2020, 57, 141 -203.
AMA StyleElizabeth A.C. Rushton, Michael J. Reiss. Middle and high school science teacher identity considered through the lens of the social identity approach: a systematic review of the literature. Studies in Science Education. 2020; 57 (2):141-203.
Chicago/Turabian StyleElizabeth A.C. Rushton; Michael J. Reiss. 2020. "Middle and high school science teacher identity considered through the lens of the social identity approach: a systematic review of the literature." Studies in Science Education 57, no. 2: 141-203.
Elizabeth A. C. Rushton; Meryl Batchelder. Education for Sustainable Development Through Extra-curricular or Non-curricular Contexts. Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals 2020, 249 -258.
AMA StyleElizabeth A. C. Rushton, Meryl Batchelder. Education for Sustainable Development Through Extra-curricular or Non-curricular Contexts. Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. 2020; ():249-258.
Chicago/Turabian StyleElizabeth A. C. Rushton; Meryl Batchelder. 2020. "Education for Sustainable Development Through Extra-curricular or Non-curricular Contexts." Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals , no. : 249-258.
School communities provide an important context for climate change education that explores the implications of climate change at a range of spatial scales and provides young people with information about how they can positively respond to the challenges posed by the Anthropocene. This research explores the experiences of secondary school teachers and technicians who, with their students, have actively participated in science research that has a climate change and/or biodiversity focus, for at least four months. The study uses reflexive thematic analysis to analyse semi-structured interviews of twenty-eight participants from a diverse geographical range across England and Scotland, U.K., and from a variety of educational and socio-economic contexts. This study suggests that some teachers and technicians are motivated to participate in research projects to enable students to engage with, and contribute to, science and research that could provide solutions to real-world challenges and problems including climate change and the loss of biodiversity. Teachers and technicians reported that participation in research projects developed some students’ sense of agency in the context of global challenges and this included students who were not already active in pro-environmental groups or activities. Learning from this approach to climate change education will be useful for educators in a range of settings as well as policy makers in the fields of climate change and education.
Elizabeth A. C. Rushton. Increasing Environmental Action Through Climate Change Education Programmes that Enable School Students, Teachers and Technicians to Contribute to Genuine Scientific Research. Climate Change Management 2019, 507 -523.
AMA StyleElizabeth A. C. Rushton. Increasing Environmental Action Through Climate Change Education Programmes that Enable School Students, Teachers and Technicians to Contribute to Genuine Scientific Research. Climate Change Management. 2019; ():507-523.
Chicago/Turabian StyleElizabeth A. C. Rushton. 2019. "Increasing Environmental Action Through Climate Change Education Programmes that Enable School Students, Teachers and Technicians to Contribute to Genuine Scientific Research." Climate Change Management , no. : 507-523.
Cocurricular; Informal learning; Nonformal learning. Extra-curricular and non-curricular education in Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is distinct from formal curricular learning through...
Elizabeth A. C. Rushton; Meryl Batchelder. Education for Sustainable Development Through Extra-Curricular or Non-curricular Contexts. Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals 2019, 1 -10.
AMA StyleElizabeth A. C. Rushton, Meryl Batchelder. Education for Sustainable Development Through Extra-Curricular or Non-curricular Contexts. Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. 2019; ():1-10.
Chicago/Turabian StyleElizabeth A. C. Rushton; Meryl Batchelder. 2019. "Education for Sustainable Development Through Extra-Curricular or Non-curricular Contexts." Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals , no. : 1-10.
This paper proposes ten salient practices of research mentoring activity in high school settings for teachers and technicians based upon survey and interview findings from 96 English and Scottish high school teachers from STEM disciplines, working in research collaborations with scientists. Mentoring high school research provides career development, with teachers identifying new aspects to their professional roles including ‘teacher researcher’, ‘teacher scientist’ and ‘teacher mentor’. This study suggests the potential for using the ten salient practices to initiate individual teacher reflection and wider professional development, and, a way of framing and disseminating effective practice across the school sector.
Helen Walkington; Elizabeth A. C. Rushton. Ten Salient Practices for Mentoring Student Research in Schools: New Opportunities for Teacher Professional Development. Higher Education Studies 2019, 9, p133 .
AMA StyleHelen Walkington, Elizabeth A. C. Rushton. Ten Salient Practices for Mentoring Student Research in Schools: New Opportunities for Teacher Professional Development. Higher Education Studies. 2019; 9 (4):p133.
Chicago/Turabian StyleHelen Walkington; Elizabeth A. C. Rushton. 2019. "Ten Salient Practices for Mentoring Student Research in Schools: New Opportunities for Teacher Professional Development." Higher Education Studies 9, no. 4: p133.
Background: A diverse range of opportunities for high school students to undertake Independent Research Projects (IRPs) in science and this is a beneficial aspect of high school science provision. In Higher Education, the importance of students undertaking research as part of their learning, including presenting at authentic, academic conferences, is increasingly recognised. Purpose: To date, research has little considered the experiences of high school students who present their scientific research at conferences, to audiences of academics and peers, and this study seeks to contribute to understanding in this area. Sample: Twenty seven high school science students from four state-maintained schools. Design and methods: This qualitative research incorporates the ‘Students as Partners’ (SaP) approach. SaP is present in the ways in which teachers and students worked in research and in contributing to authentic conferences. SaP is also reflected in the composition of the author team of this article; the first author worked for the organisation that delivered the conferences, the second author was a school student who participated in a focus group, having previously presented her research at one of these conferences, and the third author is based in a higher education institution. Student experiences were shared through five focus groups held at the students’ schools and thematic analysis was used to explore these experiences. Results: High school students benefit from the opportunity to present their research at academic conferences, but they need support and guidance in the pre-conference and post-conference phases as well as at the conference to gain the most from the experience. Conclusion: Future research must consider the ways in which students from under-represented groups can be supported to view IRPs and presenting research at conferences as opportunities that are open to them if these opportunities are to be genuinely open to all students.
Elizabeth A. C. Rushton; Lauren Charters; Michael Reiss. The experiences of active participation in academic conferences for high school science students. Research in Science & Technological Education 2019, 39, 90 -108.
AMA StyleElizabeth A. C. Rushton, Lauren Charters, Michael Reiss. The experiences of active participation in academic conferences for high school science students. Research in Science & Technological Education. 2019; 39 (1):90-108.
Chicago/Turabian StyleElizabeth A. C. Rushton; Lauren Charters; Michael Reiss. 2019. "The experiences of active participation in academic conferences for high school science students." Research in Science & Technological Education 39, no. 1: 90-108.
B. Parker; L. Thomas; Elizabeth Rushton; P. Hatfield. Transforming education with the Timepix detector - Ten years of [email protected] Radiation Measurements 2019, 127, 106090 .
AMA StyleB. Parker, L. Thomas, Elizabeth Rushton, P. Hatfield. Transforming education with the Timepix detector - Ten years of [email protected] Radiation Measurements. 2019; 127 ():106090.
Chicago/Turabian StyleB. Parker; L. Thomas; Elizabeth Rushton; P. Hatfield. 2019. "Transforming education with the Timepix detector - Ten years of [email protected]" Radiation Measurements 127, no. : 106090.