ED 365 545 AUTHOR TITLE INSTITUTION SPONS AGENCY PUB DATE CONTRACT NOTE AVAILABLE FROM PUB TYPE EDRS PRICE DESCRIPTORS ABSTRACT DOCUMENT RESUME SE 053 999 Roth, Kathleen J. What Does It Mean To Understand Science?: Changing Perspectives from a Teacher and Her Students. Elementary Subjects Series, No. 96. Center for the Learning and Teaching of Elementary Subjects, East Lansing, MI. Office of Educational Research and Improvement (ED), Washington, DC. Mar 93 G0087CO226 129p. Center for the Learning and Teaching of Elementary Subjects, Institute for Research on Teaching, 252 Erickson Hall, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824-1034 ($11.75). Reports Research/Technical (143) MF01/PC06 Plus Postage. *Autobiographies; *Case Studies; *Concept Formation; Elementary Education; Elementary School Teachers; *Science Instruction; *Science Teachers; *Scientific Concepts A teacher uses reflections, analysis, and study of her own teaching and learning across a 23-year period to consider a case of science knowledge development. Because her learning about science has become increasingly influenced by analyses of her own students learning, the teacher's pedagogical autobiography is interwoven with stories of her students' changing understandings of science, focusing particularly on a case study of one student's learning about ,,cience across a year. The report concludes with a discussion of implications of the autobiographical journey. Conditions that supported the teacher's growth are used to consider ways of supporting prospective and practicing teachers' education and development in two areas: development across time of increasingly complex and rich knowledge about what it means to understand science and development of an inquiring, reflective, and analytical stance towards learning from science. (Author/PR) *********************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. ***********************************************************************