scholarly journals Preservice Biology Teachers’ Scientific Reasoning Skills and Beliefs about Nature of Science: How Do They Develop and Is There a Mutual Relationship during the Development?

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 558
Author(s):  
Daniela Mahler ◽  
Denise Bock ◽  
Till Bruckermann
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Nature Of Science ◽  
Scientific Reasoning ◽  
Professional Competence ◽  
Mutual Relationship ◽  
Biology Teachers ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Complex Picture ◽  
Scientific Reasoning Skills ◽  
Applied Paper

Scientific reasoning (SR) skills and nature of science (NOS) beliefs represent important characteristics of biology teachers’ professional competence. In particular, teacher education at university is formative for the professionalization of future teachers and is thus the focus of the current study. Our study aimed to examine the development of SR skills and NOS beliefs and their mutual relationship during teacher education. We applied paper-and-pencil tests to measure SR skills and NOS beliefs of 299 preservice biology teachers from 25 universities in Germany. The results of linear mixed models and planned comparisons revealed that both SR skills and NOS beliefs develop over the course of the study. Nevertheless, the development of SR skills and multiple aspects of NOS beliefs proceeds in different trajectories. Cross-lagged models showed a complex picture concerning the mutual relationship between SR skills and NOS beliefs during their development (both positive and negative). The current study contributes to the existing research because it is based on longitudinal data and allows—in contrast to cross-sectional research—conclusions about the development of SR skills and NOS beliefs.

scholarly journals Learning Opportunities in Biology Teacher Education Contribute to Understanding of Nature of Science

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 103 ◽  
Author(s):  
Till Bruckermann ◽  
Fridtjof Ochsen ◽  
Daniela Mahler
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Nature Of Science ◽  
Classroom Practice ◽  
Quantitative Methods ◽  
Education Programme ◽  
Learning Opportunities ◽  
Biology Teacher ◽  
Biology Teachers ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Institutional Determinants

In order to educate scientifically literate children, teachers are required to include nature of science (NOS) in their classroom practice. However, as biology teachers’ own understanding of NOS is limited, promoting an initial understanding of NOS in teacher education is crucial. The aim of this study is to elucidate the importance of the first phase of teacher education for biology teachers’ understanding of NOS. More precisely, the study aims to examine the relationship between institutional determinants (e.g., the type of teacher education programme) and learning opportunities for pre-service biology teachers’ understanding of NOS. Pre-service biology teachers (N = 232) participated in a cross-sectional testing. The corresponding descriptions of N = 649 modules of biology teacher education from 20 German universities were analysed. Qualitative and quantitative methods were applied to relate the institutional determinants and the individual amount of learning opportunities to pre-service biology teachers’ understanding of NOS. Results reveal that both institutional determinants as well as the amount of learning opportunities are related to pre-service biology teachers’ understanding of NOS. This indicates that teacher education at university represents an important phase for biology teachers’ understanding of NOS. The results are discussed in terms of consequences for further research and teacher education.

scholarly journals Can Pre-Service Biology Teachers’ Professional Knowledge and Diagnostic Activities Be Fostered by Self-Directed Knowledge Acquisition via Texts?

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 244
Author(s):  
Maria Kramer ◽  
Christian Förtsch ◽  
Birgit J. Neuhaus
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Acquisition ◽  
Scientific Reasoning ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Instructional Quality ◽  
Professional Knowledge ◽  
Biology Teachers ◽  
Time Effects ◽  
Effect Of Treatment ◽  
Scientific Reasoning Skills ◽  
Design Paper

In a diagnostic context of reasoning about instructional quality, scientific reasoning skills can be described as diagnostic activities, which require professional knowledge. Different approaches to enhance pre-service teachers’ professional knowledge (PCK, CK, PK), as well as diagnostic activities exist. However, results about their effectiveness are still inconsistent. We systematically investigated the effectiveness of self-directed knowledge acquisition via texts on PCK, CK, PK, and diagnostic activities of 81 pre-service biology teachers following an experimental design. Paper-pencil tests, measuring PCK, CK, and PK, and the video-based assessment tool DiKoBi Assess, measuring diagnostic activities in the context of diagnosing instructional quality, were used pre and post an intervention. Intervention included four treatments on self-directed knowledge acquisition via texts on (1) PCK, (2) CK, (3) PK, (4) combination PCK/CK/PK. Treatment (5) served as control. Mixed ANOVAs showed large time effects for PCK and CK, but no interaction effect concerning knowledge facets between time and treatment for any of the treatments. Time effects might be due to pre-service teachers’ scientific reasoning on biology instruction that activated knowledge. An ANCOVA showed no significant effect of treatment on diagnostic activities either. We conclude that scientific reasoning about instructional quality is more effective for knowledge acquisition than text-work.

scholarly journals The Effects of Research-Inquiry Based Learning on the Scientific Reasoning Skills of Prospective Science Teachers

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 273
Author(s):  
Ibrahim Yuksel
Keyword(s):  
Nature Of Science ◽  
Prospective Teachers ◽  
Scientific Reasoning ◽  
Learning Approach ◽  
Science History ◽  
Inquiry Based Learning ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Post Test ◽  
Reasoning Skills ◽  
Scientific Reasoning Skills

The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of research-inquiry-based learning approach on the Scientific Reasoning Skills of Science Education Prospective Teachers in the Nature of Science and Science History Course. The study was designed as a single group pre-test – post - test model. The study group consisted of 31 prospective teachers in the 3rd grade of Science Education program in a public university in the spring term of 2017-2018 academic year. For the scientific reasoning skills of prospective teachers "Scientific Reasoning Skills Test - SRST" was measured as a pre-test, then the Nature of Science and Science History course was conducted with the Research-Inquiry Based Learning Approach and SRST was applied as a final test. This test consists of 7 sub-dimensions and contains a total of 26 items. The findings of the sub-problems of the study can be expressed as follows; a significant difference was found between the SRST pre-test total scores and post-test total scores in favor of the post-test total scores according to the sub-dimensions of proportional thinking, correlative thinking and hypothetical thinking. There was no significant difference in the post-test total scores according to the sub-dimensions of conservation laws, identifying and controlling variables, combinatorial thinking and probabilistic thinking. There was no significant difference between SRST pre-test and post-test total scores of man and woman students. A significant difference was found only in the sub-dimension of combinatorial thinking in the total scores of the sub-dimensions of SRST.

scholarly journals Biologilæreres kryssing av kulturgrenser – fra en naturvitenskapelig kultur til en skolekultur

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 52-66
Author(s):  
Mari Sjøberg ◽  
Tone Fredsvik Gregers ◽  
Marianne Ødegaard ◽  
Kristin Glørstad Tsigaridas
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Nature Of Science ◽  
Teaching Methods ◽  
Biology Education ◽  
Scientific Discourse ◽  
Group Interview ◽  
Laboratory Work ◽  
Biology Teacher ◽  
Biology Teachers ◽  
Different Cultures

The aim of this article is to understand biology teachers’ challenges with laboratory work in the light of tensions between the different cultures, or discourses, in biology teacher education. The data material in this study consists of a survey with 314 responses from biology teachers as well as a group interview. Our findings suggest that teachers struggle to transform the knowledge and experience from their pure biology education into their practice in the laboratory. Concepts from a scientific discourse, such as ‘hypothesis’ and ‘report’, are therefore integrated into traditional teacher-directed laboratory tasks where the results are given in advance. We argue that this contributes to a misleading image of science. One of the major challenges for teachers, we argue, is to design appropriate contexts for addressing aspects of nature of science in the laboratory. However, many biology teachers report that they lack knowledge about teaching methods in the laboratory.

scholarly journals Epistemological Conceptions in Teacher Education: A Study with Students from Luanda

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 479-504
Author(s):  
Eufrásia Corrêa Victor ◽  
Maria Conceição Costa ◽  
Jorge Bonito
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Nature Of Science ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Learning Difficulties ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Teaching Methodologies ◽  
Science Teaching And Learning ◽  
Training Courses ◽  
Clear Majority

Epistemology plays an important role in detecting learning difficulties in a given field of knowledge and in directing strategies to eliminate them. This quantitative study aimed to get to know the perceptions of 624 students, related to the nature of science and science teaching and learning. The cross-sectional survey, based on the Inventory of Teacher’s Pedagogical Scientific Beliefs (INPECIP) questionnaire, was applied to the students who attended the 10th, 11th and 12th grades of teacher training courses, in a school in Luanda. The results reveal a clear majority agreement with the theoretical and conceptual frameworks presented, in decreasing manner, from the “didactic model” through the “learning theory”, the “image of Science” and the “teaching methodologies”. The regression model highlights that the course attended clearly influences the epistemological conceptions of the respondents.

Exploring Pre-service Science Teachers’ Perspectives on the Nature of Science: A Comparative Study Between China and Canada

2021 ◽  
pp. 209653112096678
Author(s):  
Guihua Zhang ◽  
Yuanrong Li ◽  
George Zhou ◽  
Sonia Wai-Ying Ho
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Science Education ◽  
Science Teacher ◽  
Nature Of Science ◽  
Science Teachers ◽  
Scientific Literacy ◽  
Survey Design ◽  
Science Teacher Education ◽  
Teaching Behaviors ◽  
Preservice Science Teachers

Purpose: The Nature of Science (NOS) is an important component of scientific literacy. Science teachers’ Views of the Nature of Science (VNOS) directly affect their teaching behaviors. Therefore, it is of great significance to explore science teachers’ VNOS and find ways of improvement. This study was designed to comparatively investigate preservice science teachers’ VNOS between China and Canada. Design/Approach/Methods: The study employed a survey design to explore how Chinese and Canadian preservice science teachers understood the seven different aspects of NOS. Findings: Data showed that preservice science teachers in China and Canada both hold a modern view about science education. The level of Chinese and Canadian participants’ understanding of NOS was above the relatively naive level. Chinese teachers had better macro-understanding toward science education but their micro-mastery was insufficient. While the Canadian participants had a better understanding of the NOS than their Chinese counterparts. Originality/Value: Based on the research results and the experience of science education and teacher education in Canada, we suggested that there is a need to reconstruct the preservice science teacher education curriculum in China and promote the transformation in the science teacher educational system.

scholarly journals Mathematics teacher learning to notice: a systematic review of studies of video-based programs

ZDM ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rossella Santagata ◽  
Johannes König ◽  
Thorsten Scheiner ◽  
Ha Nguyen ◽  
Ann-Kristin Adleff ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Teacher Learning ◽  
Mathematics Teacher ◽  
Professional Competence ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Initial Teacher Education ◽  
Fundamental Aspect ◽  
Teacher Noticing ◽  
Theoretical Perspectives ◽  
Supporting Tool

AbstractTeacher noticing has become increasingly acknowledged as a fundamental aspect of teacher professional competence. Teacher education scholars have examined how the development of noticing might be supported both in initial teacher education and in professional development. In mathematics teacher education, several studies have explored the use of video as a supporting tool for teacher noticing. It remains unclear how this body of work builds on the various theoretical perspectives of noticing prevalent in the literature, thus broadening our understanding of noticing. Furthermore, the field has not examined systematically the extent to which research has leveraged the affordances of digital video technologies, and whether scholars have employed different research methods to answer questions that are critical to teacher educators. This survey paper reviews studies published in the last two decades on programs centered on mathematics teacher noticing that used video as a supporting tool for teacher learning. Thirty-five peer-reviewed papers written in English were identified and coded along three dimensions: (1) theoretical perspectives; (2) use of video technologies; and (3) research questions and methods. This review summarizes important findings and highlights several directions for future research. Most studies involved pre-service teachers, and only a few centered on in-service teachers. Developers of the large majority of programs took a cognitive psychological perspective and focused on the attending/perceiving and interpreting/reasoning facets of noticing. Few studies used video-based software and few studies used grouping, and even fewer used randomized grouping. Evidence of program effects on responding and decision making, and on instructional practice, is limited and should be extended in the future.

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