Elements for a typology of teachers' conceptions of physics teaching

Abstract

While searching for characteristics that could be considered as constituents of pedagogical functional paradigms, the purpose of the study was to identify the secondary school teachers' conceptions of teaching physics. In addition, an attempt was made to reach a higher level of synthesis in terms of a typology of physics teaching conceptions. Seventeen subjects were selected according to the following characteristics: (a) type of pedagogical and scientific education, (b) professional experience, and (c) age. In order to identify possible patterns regarding the subjects' pedagogical reasoning, a set of lesson descriptions referring to a variety of electricity lessons based on different curricular orientations was used. The analysis of the subjects' pedagogical arguments permitted the delimitation of types of science teaching conceptions labeled as the traditional, the experimental, the constructivist, the pragmatic, and the social. The study implications regard (a) a further understanding of the nature and factors impinging on the science teachers' pedagogical thinking and acting, and (b) a search for new directions in conceptualizing a teachers education to be conducive to their conceptual and professional development.