Interpreting elementary science teacher responsiveness through epistemological framing

In this study we build on the closely related constructs of teacher attention and responsiveness to explore how one fifth-grade teacher facilitates scientific inquiry. We illustrate the dual use of responsiveness and framing through the case study of Mrs. Charles, who skillfully elicits and builds on students' ideas in her science classroom. In our analysis, we found that ranking the extent of this teacher's responsiveness was inadequate for describing the nature of her teaching and for uncovering ways in which this teacher might progress. Analyzing Mrs. Charles's practice in terms of her framing of the situation, however, began to reveal patterns and nuances in the nature of her responsiveness. We argue that it is through the overlay of her epistemological framing onto an analysis of her responsiveness that we get a fuller picture of Mrs. Charles's practice: inviting and valuing students' contributions while encouraging exploration of certain ideas over others.