Preservice Biology Teachers’ Scientific Reasoning Skills and Beliefs about Nature of Science: How Do They Develop and Is There a Mutual Relationship during the Development?

Daniela Mahler,Till Bruckermann,Denise Bock

doi:10.3390/educsci11090558

Abstract

Scientific reasoning (SR) skills and nature of science (NOS) beliefs represent important characteristics of biology teachers’ professional competence. In particular, teacher education at university is formative for the professionalization of future teachers and is thus the focus of the current study. Our study aimed to examine the development of SR skills and NOS beliefs and their mutual relationship during teacher education. We applied paper-and-pencil tests to measure SR skills and NOS beliefs of 299 preservice biology teachers from 25 universities in Germany. The results of linear mixed models and planned comparisons revealed that both SR skills and NOS beliefs develop over the course of the study. Nevertheless, the development of SR skills and multiple aspects of NOS beliefs proceeds in different trajectories. Cross-lagged models showed a complex picture concerning the mutual relationship between SR skills and NOS beliefs during their development (both positive and negative). The current study contributes to the existing research because it is based on longitudinal data and allows—in contrast to cross-sectional research—conclusions about the development of SR skills and NOS beliefs.

Highlights

We suggest for future research to examine the development of preservice teachers’ scientific reasoning (SR) skills and nature of science (NOS) beliefs during the master’s program, because previous research suggests that the explicit learning opportunities that are effective for both SR skills and NOS beliefs tend to occur in the latter part of teacher education [12]
We investigated the development of SR skills and NOS beliefs—two characteristics of effective science teachers—and their mutual relationship during the undergraduate studies of teacher education at university
Our results add to previous research by taking a longitudinal approach to show how SR skills and NOS beliefs develop throughout teacher education

Summary

Introduction

Fostering the scientific literacy of students is one of the core aims of science education in schools (e.g., [1] [Germany]; [2] [U.S.]). Skills and their beliefs about nature of science (NOS) represent key domains of science teachers’ professional competence regarding science as inquiry. Science teachers with higher proficiency in SR skills are more likely to promote inquiry-based learning of their students [3,4]. SR skills and NOS beliefs should be considered important as knowledge of other science concepts [7]. Standard documents of university teacher education, include SR skills and NOS beliefs (e.g., [8] [Germany]; [9] [U.S.])

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Discussion

Conclusion