Jessica L. Alzen, Jason Y. Buell, Kelsey Edwards, Brian J. Reiser, Cynthia Passmore, William R. Penuel, Chris D. Griesemer, Yang Zhang

Original article: Alzen, J. L., Buell, J. Y., Edwards, K., Reiser, B. J., Passmore, C., Penuel, W. R., Griesemer, C.D., & Zhang, Y. (2025). Characterizing variations in the figured worlds of teachers and students in science class. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 62(6), 1654-1679. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/tea.22022

Introducing new instructional practices into the science classroom doesn't always go smoothly. When students seem to push back against these changes, it may not be true resistance, but rather a fundamental disconnect between how teachers and students see their roles.

Research into eighth-grade science classrooms reveals that teachers and students often operate in different "figured worlds"—socially and culturally constructed ways of interpreting what happens in class. When these worlds don't align, even the best reform-oriented lessons can stall.

Key Findings for the Classroom

• Competing Goals: Teachers and students often hold different ideas about the ultimate purpose of the class and their specific roles within it.
• The "Right Answer" Trap: While a teacher may want students to share "incomplete" ideas to help the group make sense of a topic, students often feel they should only speak up if they have the "right answer" to help others learn.
• Misinterpreted Resistance: What looks like student pushback is often just students acting according to their own (different) understanding of classroom goals and teacher expectations.

Practical Tips for Teachers

• Talk About the "How," Not Just the "What": Have explicit, ongoing conversations about how classroom knowledge-building is structured and the value of everyone's contribution.
• Define Shared Roles: Make time to develop a shared understanding of expectations to ensure teachers and students are "on the same page".
• Apply Sensemaking to Culture: Community sensemaking isn't just for scientific concepts; students and teachers must also make sense of their roles and what they expect from one another.