Abstract
Diagnostic competence is an important skill of professional teachers and is a part of Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK). Because increasing heterogeneity and diversity characterize our schools, diagnostic competence plays a prominent role in teacher pre- and in-service courses. At our university, two modules are focused on examining student teachers’ diagnostic competence in chemistry. The present paper describes a cross-level case study analyzing three groups of student teachers in different phases of their university teacher training program. The study is based on a qualitative research study with a total of 108 participants. The results show both positive and negative developments in teacher trainees’ diagnostic competence. They show that attitudes and beliefs about heterogeneity can be changed from a rather negative viewpoint to a more positive one. The results will be presented and discussed below. Suggestions for further development will be given.
Highlights
The “PISA shock” in Germany is a recurring topic in education
What level of diagnostic competence do student teachers possess at different stages of their university teacher training program in chemistry?
In the sense of a cross-level study, these differences pinpoint the explicit influence of university teacher training programs on future teachers
Summary
The “PISA shock” in Germany is a recurring topic in education. It reveals that heterogeneity in our schools plays an increasingly important role in all school subjects. One possibility for properly dealing with the heterogeneity is diagnostics, which is currently a main field in education research, (e.g., [1,2,3]). A person goes to the doctor if he or she feels ill and the doctor questions the patient about relevant symptoms, so that a diagnosis can be reached. A diagnosis does not end with recognition of the illness, but rather with a prescribed regimen of treatment. The doctor must continuously observe the patient and continue to react to inappropriate treatments. It should be noted that a good diagnosis includes corollary medical treatment
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