Exploring the impact of pre-service science teachers’ reflection skills on the development of professional knowledge during a field experience

Abstract

ABSTRACT The process of reflection is assumed to be important for developing professional knowledge through practical experience in science teaching. However, this claim requires more evidence, based on a clear definition of reflection. The main goal of the present study is to explore how reflection skills influence the development of professional knowledge gained through teaching experience. Before and after a five-month field experience, we have measured pre-service physics teachers’ professional knowledge and reflection skills (N = 94; 133 cases pre and post from four German universities). We also collected data for learning opportunities during the field experience (e.g. the number of taught lessons). The present study uses a novel standardized digital simulation of collaborative oral reflections to measure reflection skills (performance assessment), as a way of increasing validity compared to self-reports. The data have been analyzed using path analysis. The main results show that reflection skills before a field experience impact the development of content knowledge ( β = 0.231*) and pedagogical knowledge ( β = 0.354**) during the field experience. Regarding the learning opportunities during the field experiences, we develop the following evidence-based post-hoc hypothesis: the more pre-service science teachers are enculturated into a community of practical teachers, the less (academic) content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge they acquire during a field experience. Consequences for science teacher education will be discussed.