Science teaching faculty member wins national award for research

Jeffrey J. Rozelle, assistant professor in the Department of Science Teaching in Syracuse University’s College of Arts and Sciences, received the 2011 Outstanding Doctoral Research Award from the National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST). The award was announced Feb. 15. Rozelle holds a dual appointment in SU’s School of Education.

NARST presents the award annually to a dissertation deemed to have the greatest significance in the field of science education from among all dissertations nominated. Rozelle’s dissertation is titled “Becoming a Science Teacher: The Competing Pedagogies of Schools and Teacher Education.”

Rozelle was appointed to his position at SU in the fall of 2009 while he completed his dissertation for his Ph.D. in curriculum, teaching, and educational policy at Michigan State University. He also holds a master’s degree in secondary education from Miami University and a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of Cincinnati.

Rozelle’s research interests rest in the intersection between programs for developing science teachers’ capacity (i.e., teacher education or induction programs) and the everyday work of teachers in schools. He has investigated the role of student teaching and field experiences in what novice teachers learn, particularly in relation to the intentions of teacher education programs. In addition, he has partnered with professional developers to piece apart what new teachers learn from an induction program, and how that impacts their practice and student learning. Prior to entering graduate school, Rozelle spent nine years teaching high school science in Cincinnati Public Schools.