Tejaswini Dalvi
Biography
Tej, is an Assistant Professor of Science Education and is affiliated with Department of Curriculum and Instruction and COSMIC. She has a PhD in theoretical physics and has active research in field of elementary science education. Her research focuses on studying and developing effective ways to support elementary student engagement in science reasoning and knowledge building.
Professional Publications & Contributions
- Dalvi, T. & Mehideen, J. (2022) Argumentation to inform an engineering design decision. An engineering argument in a second-grade classroom. Science and Children, 59(6).
- Martyna Laszcz & Tejaswini Dalvi* (2021): Studying the affordances of a technology-based nanoscience module to promote student engagement in learning novel nanoscience and nanotechnology concepts at the middle school level. Research in Science & Technological Education, DOI: 10.1080/02635143.2021.1931833 *Martyna was Tej’s graduate student.
- Dalvi, T. (2021) Evolution of a Veteran Elementary Teacher’s Engineering Teaching Skills: A longitudinal case study to understand the role of disciplinary contexts in the skill acquisition process in the domain of teaching. Skill Development from Novice to Expert: Voices from Different Fields. Charlotte, NC, USA: Information Age Publishing.
- Batrouny N., Wendell K., Andrews C., Dalvi T.* (Jan 2021) Mapping Students’ Engineering Processes with Design Zones. Science and Children, 58(3), 61-6. *Batrouny N. is the graduate student and Andrews C, is my post doc on the project.
- Dalvi, T., Silva-Manginate, E., Wendell, K. (2020). Identifying pre-service teachers' conceptions about the NGSS practices using a Curriculum Critique and Revision (CCR) task. Journal of Science Teacher Education, 25.
- Dalvi T., & Hoffman, A., (2019). Towards answering, what do we know about elementary pre-service teachers’ noticing skills? A pre-requisite to prepare them to teach responsively in science classrooms. Creative Education, 10, 332-352.
- Wendell, K.B., Swenson J., & Dalvi T.S. (2019). Epistemological framing and novice elementary teachers' approaches to learning and teaching engineering design. J Res Sci Teach. ;1–27.
- Dalvi, T., (2018). Engineering in elementary stem education: curriculum design, instruction, learning, and assessment. Christine M.Cunningham. Teachers College Press (c), New York. 2018. 176 pages. ISBN: 13: 978‐0807758779. Sci. Ed., 102: 1394-1395.
- Dalvi, T., & Wendell, K (2017). Using student video cases to assess pre- service elementary teachers’ engineering teaching responsiveness. Research in Science Education. 47(5), 1101-1125. Doi:10.1007/s11165-016-9547-5
- Dalvi, T & Wendell, K.B. (2016). Community-based engineering: An approach to integrate and unify STEM. Experiences from a 2nd grade urban classroom. Young Children, 71 (5).
- Dalvi, T., & Wendell, K. B. (September 2015). Community Based Engineering in an Urban Elementary Classroom. Science and Children. 53 (1)
Additional Information
One aspect of Tej's work focuses on studying the affordances of integrated science-engineering experiences for elementary students, both in formal and informal settings. And how engineering provides a context for teaching and learning of science in elementary classrooms. The other aspect of her work focuses on developing a support system for science teachers. This includes working with both pre-service teachers at UMass Boston and in-service teacher partners at various public school districts in and around Boston. She has extensive experience in designing PD courses for science content knowledge development and incorporation of science and engineering practices.
Teaching
Design and teach following graduate courses for UMB’s urban teacher education program, and physics. List of courses is given below:
- EDCG 619- Designing Instruction in Science at the Elementary Level: Elementary teacher education course to prepare teachers to teach science and engineering in elementary urban classrooms
- EDC G 670: Math for Elementary Teachers, content and methods course for teaching mathematics to elementary teacher candidates.
- ECHD 641: Science and Math Instruction for All Young Children, a science and math teaching methods course for early childhood teacher candidates (Graduate level course) ECHD 441: Science and Math Instruction for All Young Children, a science and math teaching methods course for early childhood teacher candidates (undergraduate level course)
- EDCG 625- Creating Science and Mathematics learning environments in elementary classrooms, a course to support content knowledge development for elementary tecahers.
- PHYSIC 699: Masters’ Thesis Research in Physics
Grants
- Co-PI on National Science Foundation’s grant (Current) “ConnecTions in the Making: Elementary Students, Teachers, and STEM Professionals Integrating Science and Engineering to Design Community Solutions”.
- Co-PI on National Science Foundation’s grant (Current)” Integrating Science Content and Engineering Thinking in the Elementary Classroom”.
- Co-PI on National Science Foundation’s grant (Current) Nano-Makerspace to Make and Explore in the World of the Small. https://www.umb.edu/cosmic/projects/bringing_nanotechnology_to_high_school_studentsd
- Project Team member (Non-PI)(2014-Present) A part of the national Next Generation Science Exemplar (NGSX) Project --from its very early days (in 2014). Co-designed units in the NGSX Pathway --introducing K-12 teachers to the practices of modeling, argument, and explanation; and integrating engineering in elementary classrooms.