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 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 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.

Distance Teacher Education and the Challenges of 21st Century

2021 ◽  
pp. 83-101
Author(s):  
Santosh Kumari ◽  
Anjana
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
21St Century ◽  
Classroom Practice ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Knowledge Society ◽  
Education Programme ◽  
Innovative Teaching ◽  
Teacher Education Programme ◽  
Research Activities ◽  
New Knowledge

The study focusses on the relevance of the teacher education programmes through distance mode which are facing various challenges due to globalization and technological advancements in the field of education. With the explosion of knowledge, education is going through new transformations and, therefore, it will have to evolve in the direction of the new globalised knowledge society. The alarming challenge before the distance teacher education programme is to be equipped with 21st century knowledge and skills and learn how to integrate them into their classroom practice to realize its goal of successfully meeting the challenges of this society so that the coming generation can meet the demands of a global society. This paper focuses on the need of distance teacher education programme to find innovative teaching and learning methodology and access the potential for new forms of communication using emerging technologies. In the 21st century, teachers need to be life-long learners, adapting continuously to changing opportunities and demands of the knowledge economy, producing new knowledge through research activities.

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.

scholarly journals Pre-service Language Teachers’ Reflections and Initial Experiences on the Use of Textbooks in Classroom Practice

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 157
Author(s):  
Minna Maijala
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Teacher Training ◽  
Classroom Practice ◽  
Education Programme ◽  
Research Literature ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Teaching Materials ◽  
Teacher Trainees ◽  
One Year ◽  
The One

In foreign language (FL) teaching and learning, textbooks provide the major source for both teachers and learners (see e.g., Guerrettaz & Johnston, 2013; Richards, 2014). Although the use of textbooks and other teaching materials is one of the factors that makes the difference between novice and experienced teachers (see e.g., Savova, 2009), too little attention is paid to their use in teacher training programmes (see e.g., Canniveng & Martinez, 2003). Based on research literature and empirical data derived from a questionnaire (N = 51) and interviews (N = 12) among FL teacher trainees during the one-year teacher training programme at a Finnish university, the following questions are addressed: What are pre-service language teachers’ reflections on FL textbooks and their use? What kinds of experiences teacher trainees had with FL textbooks during the one-year teacher education programme? The results of this study give us more information on how language teacher trainees learn to use textbooks and other teaching materials. For instance, it emerged from the findings that the trainees were willing to create learner-centred teaching materials. In addition, the study can give ideas of how to develop courses for FL teacher education in order to pay more attention to a more independent use of textbooks and other teaching materials.

Examining Thai biology teachers’ understanding of the nature of science: Where there are various ethnic groups of the Mekhong sub-region people

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 396-404
Author(s):  
Adchara Chaisri Khureerung
Keyword(s):  
Ethnic Groups ◽  
Nature Of Science ◽  
Research Methodology ◽  
Biology Teacher ◽  
Biology Teachers ◽  
Interpretive Paradigm ◽  
Questionnaire Form

This research aimed at examining Thai biology teachers’ understanding of the nature of science (NoS). Participants included 118 biology teachers from 51 schools in Nakhon Phanom and Mukdahan provinces, Thailand, where there are various ethnic groups of the Mekhong sub-region people. Research methodology utilised an interpretive paradigm. Teachers’ understanding of NoS was interpreted through an open-ended questionnaire about NoS that was adapted from Lederman et al. views of NoS questionnaire form-C and interviews. The results of this study shows that more than 50% of the participants had shown uninformed, ambiguous I and ambiguous II views in the questionnaire and interviews. The paper discuss the NoS understanding of teachers’ in order to after this improving their understanding of NoS and preparing them for teaching. Keywords: Biology teacher, nature of science (NoS), understanding, VNOS-C, teaching.

scholarly journals Drawing the boundary lines of science education

2015 ◽  
Vol 44 (2) ◽  
pp. 219-235 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonas Hallström
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Subject Matter ◽  
Boundary Work ◽  
Biology Teacher ◽  
Political Struggle ◽  
Biology Teachers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Text Interpretation ◽  
Professional Authority ◽  
Teacher Training Colleges

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe and analyze how the Swedish Association of Biology Teachers (ABT) and some other subject associations helped form pre-service biology teacher education in two major Swedish reforms from ca. 1960 to 1990. Design/methodology/approach – The activities of subject associations can be understood as boundary-work since they defend their subject boundaries in terms of content, space in the timetable, and legitimacy. A hermeneutic method of text interpretation is employed in analyzing historical archival and parliamentary material. Findings – The work of the ABT to demarcate their subject in the 1968 and 1988 Teacher Education Reforms may seem like merely defending certain biological items instead of others, in the name of science. However, it was also a professional struggle to assert the importance of the teachers, their jobs, education, knowledge of biology subject matter, and thereby their professional authority and autonomy. The ABT were also caught in a political struggle for their subject throughout the period of investigation. Depending on the political winds of the time they therefore had to ally themselves with or distance themselves from various actors. Originality/value – In comparison with the few other studies of subject associations, this paper is unique in outlining how the ABT acted in relation to teacher education. However, the ways of doing boundary-work were still very similar to those used by subject associations in schools in other countries, especially in acting for increased study time in their respective science subjects as well as their resistance to subject integration. An obvious conclusion regarding teacher education is that subject associations such as the ABT did not contribute to bridging the gap between subject matter and pedagogy but rather the opposite. Biology teacher education was seen as an academic pursuit carried out at universities rather than at the practically oriented teacher training colleges.

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