ABSTRACT
This part introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters. The part describes an interesting collection of projects that, taken together, paint a rich picture of what is needed in terms of supportive contexts to scaffold elementary teachers’ journeys to become experts in science teaching. It outlines the principles underlying the design of a practice-based elementary teacher education program and describes some of its outcomes as evidenced in interviews with participants, and video registrations of their classroom teaching. The part demonstrates that a practice-based approach can successfully prepare elementary teachers to teach science, competently and confidently. It suggests that the complexity of educational processes, and how these depend on relationships between various groups of people. Teacher learning is commonly seen as a complex system of processes in which teachers are engaged in active and meaningful learning.
