Using pedagogical inquiries as a basis for learning to teach: Prospective teachers' reflections upon positive science learning experiences

Abstract

AbstractThe primary purpose of this study was to document and interpret ways in which the first author engaged prospective teachers in pedagogical inquiries and then assisted them in using their findings as a basis for learning to teach in her courses on methods of teaching science in elementary schools. The focus here is upon inquiries about factors that foster science learning. A second purpose was to trace some of the effects of such a pedagogical approach in the development of expertise in teaching, researching, and mentoring. A third purpose was to contribute to the development of interpretative methodology, an example of a collaborative inquiry. Data included drawings made by prospective teachers on the first day of class in which they depicted memories of positive experiences in learning science. They also wrote captions for their drawings, identified factors that fostered their learning in these instances, and constructed a joint list of factors across these individual experiences. Throughout the semester, the prospective teachers also wrote journals describing science learning they observed and analyzing factors that fostered learning in those instances. Then they analyzed their own journals for common themes in order to develop personal frameworks for science teaching and learning. Data also included audio‐taped interviews and written reflections by a graduate of the course about ways the course has influenced her evolving teaching and mentoring practices. The results suggest that these prospective elementary school teachers had entered a course on methods of teaching science with prior knowledge about science learning and teaching that could serve as a basis for learning to use approaches to science instruction advocated in the national standards. The reflective methods utilized in the course enabled at least one of these prospective teachers to articulate her philosophy of teaching in ways that helped her instantiate such practices as a beginning teacher. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.Sci Ed 85:733–757, 2001.