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faculty
Stephen Witzig, PhD
Associate Professor
Education
Contact
508-910-9030
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Liberal Arts 398E
Education
| 2012 | University of Missouri | PhD in Science Education |
Teaching
Programs
Programs
Teaching
Courses
The use of current techniques and materials in science in grades 5-9. Using an integrated approach of pedagogy and content special attention will be given to new information technologies, reform-based teaching practices and problem-solving and reasoning. General science concepts are aligned with the academic standards of the Massachusetts curriculum frameworks. This course satisfies state initial license instructional methods requirements.
A content/methods course designed to integrate four important aspects of teaching science in the school: becoming a reflective practitioner, gaining knowledge of oneself as a learner of science, gaining knowledge of oneself as a teacher of science, and gaining knowledge of children. This course prepares one to craft a science teaching practice that reflects current educational research, philosophies, and methodologies. DOE Subject Matter Knowledge Requirements are developed via class articles and learning experience and extension assignments. Educators will implement, evaluate, and reflect on instructional strategies unique to high school science teaching.
Capstone course designed to synthesize critical research processes, theories of learning, and current research themes in mathematics education. From this synthesis, students are expected to select and refine a topic for their pilot study to be conducted during the preparatory phase of the doctoral program. A major product of this course is to generate materials relevant for their qualifying exams.
Qualifying Exam Preparation Capstone Course. Prepare students for their qualifying exams by synthesizing the lessons learned by the authentic I.earning experience and focusing research questions in preparation for their advanced coursework. In addition, the course will focus on formal writing both for grant applications, scholarly articles and the dissertation.
STEM curriculum design, development, implementation, and reform. Students will focus on analyzing grades K-16 curriculum, intentions for students' learning outcomes, associated pedagogical styles and integration. Students will examine existing reform and basal curricula texts, and the development of new activities and activity structures that replace or transform existing texts based upon present STEM education theory and new technologies. Students will also be introduced to issues behind curricula reform and integration focusing on fidelity of implementation.
Focuses on developing the dissertation proposal, including conducting a full literature review, identifying the theoretical perspectives and relevant research framing the proposed dissertation research, a clear statement of the research questions and significance of the problem, a description of the research methods and design, and a work plan that identifies how data will be collected and analyzed.
Focuses on developing the dissertation proposal, including conducting a full literature review, identifying the theoretical perspectives and relevant research framing the proposed dissertation research, a clear statement of the research questions and significance of the problem, a description of the research methods and design, and a work plan that identifies how data will be collected and analyzed.
Research
Research awards
- $ 599,926 awarded by National Science Foundation for Connecting Undergraduates to Biodiversity Instruction through Citizen Science (CUBICS)
- $ 13,000 awarded by Lloyd Center for the Environment, Inc. for Lloyd Center-STEM Education PhD Fellowship Program
Research
Research interests
- Development of teachers’ specialized knowledge for teaching science
- Socioscientific issues based education
- Informal science contexts & field based teaching/learning
- Scientific practices & formative assessment in science
Select publications
- Sickel, A. J. & Witzig, S. B., (Eds.) (2017).
Designing and teaching the secondary science methods course: An international perspective - Witzig, S. B., Halverson, K. L., Siegel, M. A., & Freyermuth, S. K. (2013).
The interface of opinion, evaluation, and understanding while learning about a socioscientific issue
International Journal of Science Education, 35(15), 2483-2507. - Witzig, S. B., Freyermuth, S. K., Siegel, M. A., Izci, K., & Pires, J. C. (2013).
Is DNA alive? A study of conceptual change through targeted instruction
Research in Science Education, 43(4), 1361-1375.
Dr. Witzig holds a Ph.D. in Science Education from the University of Missouri. He joined the UMass Dartmouth faculty in 2012 and teaches courses in both the Ph.D. program in STEM Education as well in the Masters of Arts in Teaching programs. Stephen’s research focuses on the development of teachers’ specialized knowledge for teaching science, scientific practices, and bridging research relationships among scientists, classroom teachers, and science teacher educators. His work focuses on the sources of teachers’ content and pedagogical knowledge, how experience shapes knowledge, socioscientific issues based education, qualitative methods in science education, and areas of student learning including the roles of students and teachers in learning science. He has published his work in the International Journal of Science Education, Research in Science Education, Journal of College Science Teaching, and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education, among others and has a co-edited book entitled Designing and Teaching the Secondary Science Methods Course: An International Perspective.