Comparing outcomes from two case studies on chemistry teachers’ readiness to change

Abstract

This study reports the outcomes of two in-service courses, which targeted the development of chemistry teachers’ skills to promote inquiry or reasoning and creative thinking skills among their students. Sixteen chemistry and four biology teachers participated in two intervention studies, both designed according to the philosophy of scientific and technological literacy (STL), and each ran for 8 months, but used different types of supplementary teaching materials. Data were collected through questionnaires, interviews and teacher-created teaching materials. Categories of teachers’ readiness to change were created in each case and implications for teaching were discussed. In both cases it was found that changing the classroom environment towards student-centeredness was the hardest task. All teachers appreciated real life scenario-type beginning of lessons, which according to activity theory met the need-motive initiation for undertaking activity by students. One third of the Estonian chemistry teachers involved were not ready for change; the major factors holding them back related to the curriculum and external services constraints.