Pre-service Biology Teachers Research Articles

A A corpus-based study on the use of cohesive devices in the lesson plans of pre-service teachers

This study explores the use of cohesive devices in lesson plans (LPs) prepared by pre-service teachers across various subjects, specifically focusing on English, Math, and Biology majorships in a state university in the Philippines. The research highlights the prevalent use of personal references among English pre-service teachers, who favor the word "you" for its role in maintaining a second- and third-person perspective. In contrast, Math and Biology pre-service teachers predominantly employ nominal substitutions and conjunctions to enhance coherence in their LPs. The study also notes the absence of ellipsis in the analyzed LPs and identifies the predominant use of nominal substitution and extension conjunctions across subjects. By comparing the frequency and types of cohesive devices used, the research underscores the variations in linguistic strategies employed by pre-service teachers of different disciplines. The findings suggest a need for greater awareness and training on the effective use of cohesive devices to improve lesson planning and instructional clarity.

Developing Preservice Biology Teachers' Creative Thinking Skills Through Integrating E-Books into Problem-Based Learning

Developing Preservice Biology Teachers' Creative Thinking Skills Through Integrating E-Books into Problem-Based Learning. This research aims to find a low solution quality of teachers in North Maluku Province, Indonesia. One alternative proposed is integrating e-books into problem-based learning to see the impact on preservice biology teachers' creative thinking skills. Pre-experiment-bookstall research methodology and one group's pretest-posttest design are used. This research was carried out in 2024, and the research location was the Study Program for Biology Education, University of Khairun, Indonesia. The research subjects were preservice biology teachers. The selection of research subjects was based on the initial ability level (high, medium, low), so the number of research subjects was 6 (2 groups). The research results concluded that integrating e-books into a problem-based learning model was very effective in improving the creative thinking skills of preservice biology teachers. Further research also makes it possible to see the differences in the effect of providing learning activity links (e-books) before or after offline lectures are conducted.

Transformative Shifts in Informal Reasoning of Pre-Service Teachers in a Real-Time Health Issue

ABSTRACT COVID-19 became a serious health problem all over the world. This health issue also turned into one of the most striking socio-scientific controversies in recent years. The present study utilized qualitative exploratory methodologies to investigate how pre-service science teachers’ informal reasoning transformed over the pandemic’s first two months of social distancing and quarantine. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with N = 26 3rd and 4th year pre-service biology teachers studying at a state university in Türkiye. Analysis revealed that these preservice teachers’ rational decision-making mode and moral-based reasoning decreased in the second interviews, while their emotive and intuitive modes increased. This could be explained by the fact that decision-making mechanisms are likely operating under the influence of different variables in unstructured natural SSI cases, since rational decisions are insufficient for producing solutions during these complex processes. In addition, the results indicated that individuals may hold more than one decision-making mode at the same time when grappling with complex, ill-structured SSIs. Moreover, participants who held multiple perspectives at the beginning tended to consider fewer factors in their decision-making processes at the end of the two-month period. The study contributes to the evolving understanding of science teacher education during times of crisis.

Profiles of Preservice Biology Teachers’ Generic and Subject-Specific Career Choice Motives: Making a Social Contribution, Wanting to Teach, or Still Undecided

ABSTRACT Preservice teachers’ career choice motives consist of individual interests, orientations, or reasons that guide the decision to become teachers. Teachers’ career choice motives can impact teaching and job retention. Most studies on preservice teachers’ career choice motives use closed-ended instruments to assess generic career choice motives and conduct their analyses with variable-centered approaches. In contrast, this study administered open-ended questions in a sample of 298 preservice teachers, asking about both their generic and their subject-specific career choice motives. Furthermore, a latent class analysis was used to identify the different profiles of career choice motives. The findings suggest that, depending on the profile, preservice teachers may be motivated by making a social contribution, by wanting to teach, or they may still be undecided about their future career. The findings are discussed based on the existing literature and recommendations for teacher education and research on preservice teachers’ career choice motives are given.

Preservice Biology Teachers’ Beliefs About Evidence-Based Medicine and Alternative Medicine

AbstractHealth-related discussions in society and the media—specifically during the COVID-19 pandemic—showed that individuals are confronted with Alternative Medicine and Evidence-Based Medicine. When making reflective decisions about these treatments, both knowledge and beliefs are important. Previous research with preservice biology teachers has shown that they commonly use Alternative Medicine, although they have little knowledge about it. To date, systematic studies on preservice biology teachers’ beliefs about Alternative Medicine and Evidence-Based Medicine are lacking. Based on the Theory of Planned Behavior, the present study elicited German (N = 40) preservice biology teachers’ beliefs about these treatments via an open-ended questionnaire. Behavioral, normative, and control beliefs were categorized using qualitative content analysis. The results showed that the participants mentioned the efficacy, scientificity, and safety of treatments as important beliefs. For Alternative Medicine, beliefs were related to scientific evidence for its efficacy, naturalness and mild effects. These beliefs indicate that some preservice biology teachers do not have a clear understanding of Evidence-Based Medicine and Alternative Medicine, which can influence their decision-making. The results highlight the need to incorporate Alternative Medicine and Evidence-Based Medicine into health-related decision-making within biology education and biology teacher education and provide a basis for further research.

Training for conducting conversations professionally across domains – comparing communication training in biology teacher and medical education

ABSTRACT In higher education, the training of students’ communicative skills necessary for conducting professional conversations is gaining attention across domains – including medical and teacher education. Although teachers need communicative and content-specific knowledge for subject conversations on biological topics, biology-specific communication training is rare. Research on an interdisciplinary perspective on communication training, with the use of simulated conversations with standardised interlocutors, would close this gap. This study compares such training in medical and biology teacher education. We questioned pre-service biology teachers (n = 25) and medical students (n = 31) participating in communication training about their fear of failure in future professional conversations, and their perceived utility value of communication training. After some input, single participants in both groups simulated a conversation with a standardised caregiver or patient. Both training sessions ended with reflections on the simulation. Our results of t-tests and ANOVA indicate that training in subject conversations about sex education reduced the fear of failure, increased the perceived utility value, and indicate that future physicians and pre-service biology teachers benefit comparably from training. The findings and limitations of the study are discussed.

Analysis of Intelligent Teaching Ability of Pre-service Biology Teachers Based on TPACK Theory

The level of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) of modern intelligent-based teaching directly affects the teaching ability of pre-service teachers. In this study, all the students majoring in biological sciences in the College of Life Sciences of X Normal University were selected as the research objects. The existing TPACK level of pre-service biological teachers was investigated by means of literature research and questionnaire survey, and the factors that might influence the TPACK level of pre-service biological teachers were analyzed. The results showed that the overall TPACK level of pre-service biology teachers was in the middle level, and the TK level was the lowest, followed by the TPCK level. The seniors were higher than the freshmen in all dimensions of TPACK, and there were significant differences in each dimension. Seniors were higher than juniors in all dimensions of TPACK, and there were significant differences between them in CK and TPK, while there were no significant differences in other dimensions. Comparing the juniors and seniors as a whole with the freshmen and sophomores students as a whole, it was found that the former was higher than the latter in seven dimensions, and the differences in each dimension were extremely significant. This indicates that the establishment of the biological talent training program had a significant promoting effect on the improvement of pre-service teachers' TPACK level. This provides an important theoretical basis for the training of TPACK level of pre-service biology teachers in this school.

Plug and Unplugged Activities to Enhance Computational Thinking Self Efficacy of Pre-service Biology Teachers

Currently, plug-and-unplugged activities for learning statistics are needed to determine students' mindsets when solving statistical problems manually, using calculations without programming as an unplugged activity and for data analysis as a plug activity. This research analyzes computational thinking self-efficacy in pre-service biology teachers by implementing plug-and-unplugged activities in statistics learning. The research method used is a case study with a computational thinking self-efficacy questionnaire instrument. The sample used was 107 pre-service biology teachers at a university in Indonesia who received plug-and-unplugged activities in statistics learning for one semester. The programs used in plug activities are the R and SPSS applications. The research results show that 43% of pre-service biology teachers' computational thinking self-efficacy is in the good category, 26% is in the moderate category, 16% is in the very good category, 10% is in the low category, and the rest are very low. Meanwhile, if we look at each component of self-efficacy, computational thinking, decomposition, pattern recognition, abstraction, and algorithmic thinking are each in the moderate category. This indicates that plug-and-unplugged activities can initiate computational thinking skills in pre-service biology teachers. It is necessary to routinely provide activities or learning activities that can improve the computational thinking of pre-service biology teachers because of the need in this digital era

Exploring Practical Pedagogy in High School Biology Education: A Qualitative Study of Pre-Service Biology Teachers’ Experiences in Vietnam

<p style="text-align:justify">This qualitative study examines the experiences of pre-service high school biology teachers in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam, focusing on the challenges and transformative learning experiences encountered during their school-based internship. It aims to explore the dichotomy between specialized biology knowledge and practical applicability in high school teaching and uncover the significance of fostering student engagement through innovative strategies and the role of mentor teachers in guiding pre-service teachers. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data from pre-service biology teachers who completed a school-based internship in the Mekong Delta. Thematic analysis was employed to analyze the interview data. The study highlights the challenges of bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and classroom practice, emphasizing the importance of innovative teaching strategies for student engagement. It recognizes the role of mentor teachers in guiding and enhancing the skills of pre-service teachers in creating effective learning environments. Findings suggest the need for curriculum reforms that balance specialized biology knowledge and practical pedagogical skills. The study emphasizes the importance of experiential learning through teaching apprenticeships to better prepare pre-service teachers for their professional journey.</p>

Teacher Role and Domain of Expertise in the 21st Century: Evidence from Preservice Biology Teacher

This research focuses on biology education students' perspectives regarding teacher roles and domains of expertise in the 21st century identified from micro teaching courses. The aimed of this study was to describe the types of teacher roles that emerge in teaching practice in micro teaching courses and identify domains of expertise based on the perceptions of prospective biology teacher students while attending micro teaching courses. This research method is a qualitative based on the lesson study framework. The research instruments used questionnaires, interviews, and the observation of the learning process. The research results show that there are weaknesses in the domain of expertise needed in the 21st century, which consists of mastery of content/material, technology and pedagogy. Suggestions for further research are that good cooperation between universities and partners in schools is needed by forming the lesson study for learning communities (LSLC). This LSLC can develop the competencies of prospective biology teacher students, especially those related to pedagogical, technological, and concept mastery competencies on an ongoing basis

Exploring Project-Based Learning: Physics E-Posters in Pre-Service Science Education

This study investigates the implementation of project-based learning, explicitly focusing on designing and presenting e-posters within the Basic Physics course for pre-service science teachers, with a particular emphasis on pre-service biology teachers. Descriptive and correlational quantitative methods were utilized to analyze data collected from 16 participating students throughout 16 sessions. The assessment perspectives of lecturers, peers, and self-assessment were examined, revealing disparities in scores and highlighting the importance of multiple assessment sources. Recognition through awards was granted to students with exemplary performance, while guidance sessions led by the instructor significantly correlated with improvements in poster design. Analysis of poster content indicated a focus on fundamental physics concepts, mainly mechanics, with students utilizing various information sources. The study underscores the effectiveness of project-based learning in promoting student engagement, skill development, and conceptual understanding in physics education.

The effectiveness of the P5BL model in teaching biology for developing high school students’ deep understanding and academic achievement motivation

This study aims to identify the effectiveness of the P5BL model in developing high school students’ deep understanding and academic achievement motivation in biology. To achieve the study objectives, a quasi-experimental design was adopted. The research sample consisted of 112 male students divided into two groups: a control group (54 students) and an experimental group (58 students). The research tools are a deep understanding achievement test, consisting of 20 multiple-choice questions, and the academic achievement motivation scale, consisting of 32 items. The results revealed that the P5BL model is effective in developing second-grade high school students’ deep understanding (explanation, interpretation, application and perspective) and academic achievement motivation (academic ambition, goal orientation, achievement orientation and cognitive motivation). A correlation was also found between developing second-grade high school students’ deep understanding and academic achievement motivation. The most important recommendations include the need to prepare guidance for science teachers to help them teach using the P5BL model, as well as inform science teachers of the importance of using the P5BL model to develop deep understanding and academic achievement motivation. Many suggestions are also presented, including conducting further research on teaching biology, such as investigating the impact of the P5BL model on developing students' creative thinking and inquiry skills and investigating the effectiveness of the P5BL model in developing pre-service biology teachers’ tendency toward self-reflection and reflective thinking skills.

Exploring pre-service biology teachers’ intention to teach genetics using an AI intelligent tutoring - based system

Exploring pre-service biology teachers’ intention to teach genetics using an AI intelligent tutoring - based system

The impact of CLIL technology on the professional competence of pre-service biology teachers

The impact of CLIL technology on the professional competence of pre-service biology teachers

Possible Connections Between Knowledge and Acceptance of Evolution Amongst Jewish Religious Preservice Science Teachers Who Learned About Human Evolution

ABSTRACT Evolution is a fundamental part of biology and thus it is essential that biology preservice teachers understand and accept it. The relationship between knowledge and acceptance of evolution, and specifically human evolution, has not been fully investigated in Israel. We sought to learn about that relationship amongst Israeli Jewish religious preservice science teachers. Twenty-three religious preservice teachers answered knowledge questions before and after participating in a human evolution activity and completed an acceptance questionnaire (I-SEA). In addition, eleven of them were interviewed regarding their knowledge of evolution and four were interviewed regarding their acceptance of evolution a few months after participating in the activity. Our main findings were that the relationship between knowledge and acceptance of evolution was not always one-to-one. The preservice teachers whose evolution knowledge is high and have firm religious faith accept the theory of evolution and are willing and eager to teach it. In addition, preservice teachers might have made a shift in their understanding of human evolution and thus accepted human evolution more due to the activity. More teacher training and exposure to evolution content and pedagogy are needed so that when preservice teachers will become in-service teachers they will teach evolution without hesitance.

Developing Pre-Service Biology Teachers’ Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge through a TPACK-Based Course

<p style="text-align:justify">This study investigated pre-service biology teachers' (PSBTs’) technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) development. A TPACK-based technology integration course (TPACK-BTIC) was implemented. The study employed a convergent parallel mixed-methods approach. A TPACK survey questionnaire and interview schedule were used to collect data from 50 PSBTs. The quantitative data were analysed by computing means, standard deviations, and dependent samples t-tests, while qualitative data were analysed using deductive thematic analysis based on the TPACK domains. Findings indicate that the intervention positively affected PSBTs’ TPACK development with significant improvements in technological knowledge (TK), technological pedagogical knowledge (TPK), technological content knowledge (TCK) and overall technological pedagogical content knowledge domains. In contrast, pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) and pedagogical knowledge domains showed no statistically significant improvements. PSBTs’ engagement in microteaching lesson study, reflection on using technology, and collaboratively designing lesson plans improved PSBTs’ TPACK domains. The study recommends that teacher training institutions consider implementing content-based technology integration courses that engage pre-service teachers in microteaching lesson study, reflecting on technology use and collaborative designing of curriculum materials that involve using technology to support their TPACK development.</p>

The Impact of Open Educational Resources Based Professional Development on the Bhutanese Secondary Biology In-service and Pre-Service Teachers

This study examined the impact of Open Educational Resources (OER) based professional development of secondary school biology teachers in Samtse Dzongkha in Bhutan. It highlights the importance of teaching and learning biology in secondary classrooms, emphasising its relevance to students' understanding of science, the environment, and their future academic and career choices. Recognising the challenges faced by teachers and students in biology education, STEM teacher educators from Samtse College of Education underwent professional development using OERs and online sessions facilitated by experts from Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) in India. These educators collaborated with peers from Tanzania, Nigeria, and TISS to develop six-week-long OERs on specific biology topics, which were then shared with selected in-service and pre-service biology teachers in Bhutan through Moodle platform. Additionally, an online Community of Practice (CoP) was established on Telegram to support the ongoing professional development. The study employed a mixed-methods approach, utilising pre and post-test scores, lesson plans, reflections, and interviews to assess the impact of the OERs on teachers. The CoP network was also analysed to understand communication patterns and knowledge sharing within the community. The results from pre-test and post-test assessments across these modules showcased marginal improvements in teachers' subject content knowledge. Detailed analysis of lesson plans and reflections revealed evolving proficiency in various pedagogical domains. Notably, many teachers sought technological integration, demonstrating an eagerness to utilize digital tools for enhancing student engagement. Despite these positive trends, a significant gap in high expertise levels among teachers was observed, particularly in the Genetics module. This hints at an underlying need for enriched professional development opportunities in specific content areas. Therefore, findings of this study concludes by recommending educational institutions to support continuous professional development for biology teachers through the integration of OERs, thereby improving the quality of biology education.

Facilitating Preservice Biology Teacher Development through Material-Based Lesson Planning

Lesson planning is a core task for preservice teachers and simultaneously a major challenge due to the complexity of the planning process. This complexity can be reduced by using preselected teaching materials (material-based planning). To explore its potential, think-aloud protocols of material-based planning on the topics of photosynthesis and digestion by 13 preservice biology teachers at a German university serve as the main data source. The data were coded using qualitative content analysis, whereby a superordinate distinction was made between core and secondary dimensions of lesson planning. The results reveal a focus on core dimensions such as instructional strategies (visible structures) and student understanding (deep structures), while secondary dimensions like reflecting task authenticity are comparatively rare. This shows the potential of material-based planning, which enables preservice teachers to concentrate on central planning dimensions due to a reduced workload. Further analysis of the code frequencies shows an imbalance between visible and deep structures, which is more commonly observed in the planning of photosynthesis and is interpreted as an indicator of students’ overload due to the complexity of the topic. Successful planning by preservice teachers is therefore dependent on both planning task and topic selection. Corresponding implications for teacher education are discussed.

Conceptual understanding and analysis conceptual difficulties of nervous system: from the perspective of pre-service biology teachers

<p><span lang="EN-GB">The aims of this study were to describe level of conceptual understanding and conceptual difficulties on the nervous system from the perspective of pre-service biology teachers. This research was used cross-sectional research design with a sample of 30 participants was selected randomly. The six essays that were created using the conceptual understanding indicator, and twelve multiple-choice questions that were created in the form of three-tier examinations, and the open questionnaires developed to detect challenging concepts in the nervous system make up the instrument. Data has been analysed using descriptive statistics. Data analysis indicates that the average score of conceptual understanding of pre-service biology teachers is 67.33 belongs to the medium category. For the highest percentage of conceptual understanding indicator is ability to exemplify concepts (86.67%) and the other hand, lower percentage is indicators of ability to connect various concepts (46.67%). The best concept for conceptual understanding especially about sub-matter of structure and function of neurons, central and autonomy nerves. Conversely, for the nervous system concepts that are recognized as challenging, particularly the concepts of physiology, impulse transmission mechanism, and somatic nerve inertia. The lack of conceptual understanding caused by complexity of subject, abundance of terminology, and intangible things. The study is expected to be used mainly for development of various learning methods or media that viewed as suitable for improving conceptual understanding of and reducing conceptual difficulties.</span></p>

ENHANCING PRE-SERVICE BIOLOGY TEACHERS’ TECHNOLOGICAL PEDAGOGICAL CONTENT KNOWLEDGE THROUGH A TPACK-BASED TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION COURSE

The effective use of technology in teaching can aid in enhancing the teaching and learning of a subject matter. This study aimed to enhance the technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) of five pre-service biology teachers (PSBTs) by implementing a TPACK-Instructional Design (TPACK-ID) model-based technology integration course at a Zambian public university. An explanatory case study design was used. Data sources for the study included semi-structured interviews , video lesson recordings, lesson plan reports and PSBTs’ reflection notes. Data from interviews and reflection notes were analyzed using deductive thematic analysis while a TPACK rubric was used to simultaneously analyze lesson plan reports and video lesson recordings. The findings indicated that the TPACK-ID model-based technology integration course improved PSBTs’ overall TPACK and sub-knowledge domains: pedagogical knowledge, technology knowledge, technological content knowledge, and technological pedagogical knowledge. The study recommends implementing context-based technology integration courses in teacher preparation programs to enhance pre-service teachers’ TPACK. Keywords: pre-service biology teachers, technology integration, micro-teaching lesson study, TPACK