It is our pleasure and honor to be writing this today to introduce ourselves to you as the new editors of Innovations. We are excited by this opportunity to contribute and advance science teacher education through this journal and to serve ASTE in this capacity. We are grateful for the successful launch and establishment of the journal that founding editors Ron and Rommel lead over the last 5 years. We pick up in a place of strength and promise and will continue where they left off. Who wouldn’t be excited to take the reins when the previous editors said:
“We have gotten to know a lot of great people through this journal and we will miss the daily interactions with authors and reviewers. …The quality of manuscripts continue to be impressive and the thoughtfulness of reviews continue to encourage us about the willingness of our peers to support one another in their scholarly endeavors.”
ASTE and the founding editors have established Innovations as a strong resource for science teacher educators to share their teacher education work, grounded in research, and improving the professional. Innovations provides ASTE members with insights and suggestions which they can use in their practice, along with the opportunity to expand their impact on the profession. As the quote from Ron and Rommel above states, the reviewers and authors continue to work together to strengthen the value of Innovations to science teacher educators and science education in general.
We are eager to continue to build and expand the reputation of the journal that Drs. Miranda and Hermann have firmly established. Our vision for Innovations is to broaden its audience, increase its visibility, and build its reputation as the “go-to” resource for new ideas and conversations related to science teacher education. As our society grapples with difficult challenges, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and our nation’s continued struggle against racial injustice and systemic racism, Innovations is well positioned to provide science teacher educators with tools to empower their students to contribute to scientific solutions to societal problems. We are considering calls for special issues related to these topics, and welcome ideas from authors, reviewers, and ASTE members. Innovations has provided ASTE and science teacher educators with some solutions for science education in some context, but we still have work to do and we should, and will, be leading the way to improve science teacher education to improve science education for all students.
For a bit more about us: We are science educators and science teacher educators at Illinois State University. A faculty member in the School of Biological Science, Rebekka is currently serving as the Director of the Center for Mathematics, Science, and Technology (CeMaST). Sarah is a faculty member in the Department of Chemistry, serving as the Director of Chemistry Education for their undergraduate and graduate chemistry teacher programs. Illinois State University prides itself on its teacher education programs to which we contribute through our work and education of P-20 science educators, specialist and generalist, preservice and inservice. We have a passion for science education and science teacher education and find this opportunity as the new editors of Innovations to support our passion and contribute to improving science education for all students.
As we embark on this journey and continue the work begun by Ron and Rommel and to promote the mission of ASTE, we welcome questions, ideas, and feedback. Please contact us at ISTEjournal@ilstu.edu.
Sarah Boesdorfer & Rebekka Darner