Bridging the Gap Between Preservice Teacher Education and Induction: NSTA Student Chapters as a Transitional Support

Abstract

NSTA initiated the student chapter program in 2001 to “maintain a connection to future teachers as they enter the profession and create a conduit as the 'new' teacher workforce enters the classroom” (NSTA, 2009, p. 1). The purpose of the student chapters is to provide preservice teachers of science opportunities to access and use support resources and enhance their professional development (NSTA, 2009). The role of professional organizations in the development of preservice teachers has been largely unexplored in the science education literature. As such, we sought to understand how a NSTA student chapter supported preservice teachers' professional development and the implications for teacher education.