Exploring impacts of the EED 420 science methods course on pre-service elementary teachers’ views regarding the nature of science
Keywords:
5E Instructional Model, Pre-Service Elementary Teachers, Nature of Science, Science Methods Course, Science as InquiryAbstract
This study explores the impact of a semester-long science methods course examining pre-service elementary teachers’ views on the nature of science (NOS). Also examined were NOS characteristics that pre-service teachers incorporated into their science lesson plans and peer teachings, during the course. Data used for this study were obtained from 21 pre-service teachers who participated in the pre/post card exchange game, pre/post VNOS interviews, 5E lesson plans, and peer teaching performances. The results of the study showed that some changes were made as a result of EED 420— such as starting to view science as a data-gathering experimental endeavor, rather than just a theorydriven endeavor. None of the groups explicitly designed or taught their lesson’s NOS aspects. The study posits that a mere one semester-long science method’s course is insufficient to adequately improve understanding of the NOS, and to establish a sufficiently robust desire in pre-service teachers for them to implement NOS into their lessons.
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References
Abd-El-Khalick, F., Bell, R. L., & Lederman, N. G. (1998). The nature of science and instructional practice:
Making the unnatural natural. Science Education, 82, 417-436.
Abd-El-Khalick, F. & Lederman, N. (2000). The influence of history of science course on students' views
of the nature of science. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 37, 1057-1095.
Abell, S., Martini, M., & George, M. (2001). 'That's what scientists have to do': Pre-service elementary
teachers' conceptions of the nature of science during a moon investigation. International Journal of
Science Education, 23(11), 1095-1109.
Bass, J., Contant, T., & Carin, A. (2009). Teaching science as inquiry. (11 ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson
Education, Inc.
Bell, R. L., Matkins, J. J., & Gansneder, B. M. (2011). Impacts of contextual and explicit instruction on preservice
elementary teachers’ understandings of the nature of science. Journal of Research in Science
Teaching, 48(4), 414-436.
Brickhouse, N. (1990). Teachers' beliefs about the nature of science and their relationship to classroom
practice. Journal of Teacher Education, 41, 53-62.
Bybee, R., Taylor, J. A., Gardner, A., Van Scotter, P., Carlson, J., Westbrook, A., Landes, N. (2006). The BSCS
5E instructional model: Origins and effectiveness. Colorado Springs, CO: BSCS.
Cobern, W. & Loving, C. (1998). The card exchange: Introducing the philosophy of science. In W. F.
McComas (Ed.), The Nature of Science in Science Education (pp. 73-82). Cordrecht, The Netherlands:
Kluwer Academic Publishers.
Gardner, P. L. (1972). Structure-of-knowledge theory and science education. Educational Philosophy &
Theory, 4, 25-46.
Hainsworth, M. D. (1956). The effect of previous knowledge on observation. School Science Review, 37,
234-242.
Hodson, D. (1988). Experiments in science and science teaching. Educational Philosophy and Theory, 20,
52-65.
Lederman, N. G. (1992). Students' and teachers' conceptions of the nature of science: A review of the
research. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 29, 333-359.
Lederman, N. G., Abd-El-Khalick, F., Bell, R. L., & Schwartz, R. S. (2002). Views of nature of science
questionnaire: Toward valid and meaningful assessment of learners' conceptions of nature of
science. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 39, 497-521.
Matthews, M. R. (1994). The Rapprochement Between History, Philosophy, and Science Education. In
Science teaching: The role of history and philosophy of science (pp. 1-9). New York, NY: Routledge.
McComas, W. F., Clough, M. P., & Almazroa, H. (2000). The nature of science in science education:
Rationales and strategies. In W. F. McComas (Ed.), The Role and Character and the Nature of Science in
Science Education (pp. 3-39). Cordrecht, The Netherlands: Kluwer Publishers.
Rhodes, G. & Schaible, R. (1989). Fact, law, and theory: Ways of thinking in science and literature.
Journal of College Science Teaching, 18, 228-232.
Riedinger, K., Marbach-Ad, G., McGinnis, J., Hestness, E., & Pease, R. (2011). Transforming elementary
science teacher education by bridging formal and informal science education in an innovative
science methods course. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 20(1), 51-64.
Sobel, D. (2000). Galileo's daughter. New York, NY: Penguin Books.
Southerland, S. & Gess-Newsome, J. (1999). Pre-service teachers' views of inclusive science teachings
as shaped by images of teaching, learning and knowing. Science Education, 83, 131-150.
Trusted, J. (1979). The Logic of Scientific Inference: An introduction. London: Macmillan.
Making the unnatural natural. Science Education, 82, 417-436.
Abd-El-Khalick, F. & Lederman, N. (2000). The influence of history of science course on students' views
of the nature of science. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 37, 1057-1095.
Abell, S., Martini, M., & George, M. (2001). 'That's what scientists have to do': Pre-service elementary
teachers' conceptions of the nature of science during a moon investigation. International Journal of
Science Education, 23(11), 1095-1109.
Bass, J., Contant, T., & Carin, A. (2009). Teaching science as inquiry. (11 ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson
Education, Inc.
Bell, R. L., Matkins, J. J., & Gansneder, B. M. (2011). Impacts of contextual and explicit instruction on preservice
elementary teachers’ understandings of the nature of science. Journal of Research in Science
Teaching, 48(4), 414-436.
Brickhouse, N. (1990). Teachers' beliefs about the nature of science and their relationship to classroom
practice. Journal of Teacher Education, 41, 53-62.
Bybee, R., Taylor, J. A., Gardner, A., Van Scotter, P., Carlson, J., Westbrook, A., Landes, N. (2006). The BSCS
5E instructional model: Origins and effectiveness. Colorado Springs, CO: BSCS.
Cobern, W. & Loving, C. (1998). The card exchange: Introducing the philosophy of science. In W. F.
McComas (Ed.), The Nature of Science in Science Education (pp. 73-82). Cordrecht, The Netherlands:
Kluwer Academic Publishers.
Gardner, P. L. (1972). Structure-of-knowledge theory and science education. Educational Philosophy &
Theory, 4, 25-46.
Hainsworth, M. D. (1956). The effect of previous knowledge on observation. School Science Review, 37,
234-242.
Hodson, D. (1988). Experiments in science and science teaching. Educational Philosophy and Theory, 20,
52-65.
Lederman, N. G. (1992). Students' and teachers' conceptions of the nature of science: A review of the
research. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 29, 333-359.
Lederman, N. G., Abd-El-Khalick, F., Bell, R. L., & Schwartz, R. S. (2002). Views of nature of science
questionnaire: Toward valid and meaningful assessment of learners' conceptions of nature of
science. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 39, 497-521.
Matthews, M. R. (1994). The Rapprochement Between History, Philosophy, and Science Education. In
Science teaching: The role of history and philosophy of science (pp. 1-9). New York, NY: Routledge.
McComas, W. F., Clough, M. P., & Almazroa, H. (2000). The nature of science in science education:
Rationales and strategies. In W. F. McComas (Ed.), The Role and Character and the Nature of Science in
Science Education (pp. 3-39). Cordrecht, The Netherlands: Kluwer Publishers.
Rhodes, G. & Schaible, R. (1989). Fact, law, and theory: Ways of thinking in science and literature.
Journal of College Science Teaching, 18, 228-232.
Riedinger, K., Marbach-Ad, G., McGinnis, J., Hestness, E., & Pease, R. (2011). Transforming elementary
science teacher education by bridging formal and informal science education in an innovative
science methods course. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 20(1), 51-64.
Sobel, D. (2000). Galileo's daughter. New York, NY: Penguin Books.
Southerland, S. & Gess-Newsome, J. (1999). Pre-service teachers' views of inclusive science teachings
as shaped by images of teaching, learning and knowing. Science Education, 83, 131-150.
Trusted, J. (1979). The Logic of Scientific Inference: An introduction. London: Macmillan.
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Published
2017-08-01
How to Cite
Bang, E. (2017). Exploring impacts of the EED 420 science methods course on pre-service elementary teachers’ views regarding the nature of science. International Electronic Journal of Elementary Education, 5(3), 219–232. Retrieved from https://www.iejee.com/index.php/IEJEE/article/view/23
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