Science Methods Course Influence on Pedagogical Orientations of Pre-Service Science Teachers

Abstract

The main purpose of the study is to gain insight on to what extent taking a science methods course correlated with the science teaching pedagogical preferences of pre-service science teachers. The study recruited twenty K-8 teacher education students enrolled in lower division science courses at a large American public university, some of whom had completed a science methods course and some not. A sequential exploratory mixed-methods design involving both quantitative and qualitative parts was used. The quantitative data were collected using the POSTT assessment instrument to identify pedagogical orientations profiles of the participants. A subset of students was subsequently interviewed so that they could explain their responses to the POSTT items. The data points out that many participants whether they had taken a methods course or note tended toward an inquiry science teaching orientation. When participants chose similar instructional preferences, however, their reasons often varied. The data indicated that students having taken a methods course think more broadly about factors that should influence choices of instructional practice (e.g., grade level, prior knowledge, interest areas). The findings suggest that a science methods course can have a positive influence on pre-service teachers with respect to the development of an inquiry science teaching orientation. The POSTT items have potential use within science methods courses for the formative assessment of pre-service teachers’ orientations toward science instruction.