Science Teacher Training Program Research Articles

English

Advancements in science and technology have created problems for some people who have difficulties adapting to the new environment. Improving problem solving skills of these people is very important for them to so have the ability to cope with new problems. From the education perspective, it is believed that teachers should help students by not only giving them information on how to solve certain problems but also how to assimilate problem solving skills. Teachers should first and foremost have these problem solving skills so that they can help their students. In this context, the aim of the current work is to study pre-service science teachers’ problem-solving skills and to determine the effect of science teacher training program on pre-service science teachers’ problem solving skills based on their grade levels. 76 freshmen, 81 sophomores, 117 juniors and 69 seniors (that is, 343 pre-service science teachers in total) of the Department of Science Teacher Education in 2012 to 2013 academic year participated in this study. In order to measure their problem solving skills, problem solving inventory (PSI) which was developed by Heppner and Petersen and adapted into Turkish by Ažahin, Ažahin and Heppner was used. In the data analysis procedure, One-Way ANOVA was used to determine whether there is any statistically significant difference among grades, scores of problem solving skills, and its dimensions. According to the findings, significant differences were found between sophomores and juniors; and also between sophomores and seniors. As for the sub dimensions, there was only found a significant difference according to “impulsive style” and “avoidant style” dimensions among grades. Key words: Problem solving skills, pre-service science teachers, teacher education.

Enseñar y aprender Historia a partir del análisis de fuentes históricas. Una experiencia formativa en educación superior

Following the methodological framework of educational action-research, this article presents the results of a formative experience supported by the development of historical thinking skills in undergraduate Social Science students at Universidad La Gran Colombia, which was conducted in a Colombian history seminar as part of the curriculum of this academic program. This document, thus, analyzes the pedagogical and disciplinary potentialities derived from the treatment of strategic historical or second-order contents in the history teaching and learning process, which takes place in the initial Social Science teacher training program. It explores the educational advantages resulting from the pedagogical actions related to the development of historical skills, particularly those associated with the search, selection and analysis of historical sources. As a result, it is recommended that the teaching and learning of history in the context of undergraduate studies should not be focused on uncritical reproduction of information, but on the production of historical knowledge, a process in which the work on first and second-order sources is key.

사회 구성주의 과학교사교육 프로그램에 참여한 교사들의 인식 변화와 실천 연구

For secondary school teachers who attended 'A Social Constructionism Science Teacher Training Program', we analyzed their processes of cognizance change as well as whether they put its results into practice in the field of education, so as to find out the efficacy of the program. 'A Social Constructionism Science Teacher Training Program' consists of three phases based on La main la , a French experience-oriented science education program. In its first phase, a study of the philosophy of La main la was made, together with a search for examples of creativity education. In its second and third stages, real education programs were developed for designated themes and free themes, respectively, and then discussions were made. It was a ten-session program, with each session comprising a four-hour sub-program. All activities were both visually and orally recorded, while the participants were asked to write reflective journals for each class. An additional survey and interview were conducted six months later to check if the seven selected secondary school teachers put the results of the program into practice. It was found that changes may be made in the beliefs of teachers with the introduction of theories in teacher indoctrination, but the acquisition of practical knowledge that can be implemented in actual classes may be effectively secured by demonstrations and practice sessions. It was concluded that indoctrination should be conducted to lead participants to the level of practical planning from the level of mere belief so that the theories might actually be put into practice in the education field.

THE USE OF JIGSAW COLLABORATIVE LEARNING METHOD IN TEACHING SOCIO-SCIENTIFIC ISSUES: THE CASE OF NUCLEAR ENERGY

This research examines the influence of Jigsaw, which is a collaborative learning (CL) method, on students’ views and decision-making processes concerning the use of nuclear energy. The research included 60 fourth-year undergraduate students attending the science teacher training program of a university in Turkey in the 2013–2014 academic year. In the research, firstly an attempt was made to provide students with scientific literacy on the subject through Jigsaw method. Then the groups formed for the Jigsaw method created argumentative texts in which they expressed their views. In the end, the students developed positive attitudes and supported the establishment of nuclear power plants in Turkey. They had negative views about the use of nuclear energy before teaching. Their views turned to positive after teaching to a great extent. It was seen that gaining enough knowledge to do logical reasoning through teaching was influential on their capability to reach positive decisions. Furthermore, it was revealed that decision-making processes are affected by variables such as scientific literacy, awareness, and suggestions for reducing risks. Key words: collaborative learning, Jigsaw, nuclear energy, socio-scientific issues.

Inquiry-Based Laboratory Practices in a Science Teacher Training Program

In this study, the effects of inquiry-based learning practices on the scientific process skills, creative thinking, and attitudes towards science experiments of preservice science teachers have been analyzed. A non-experimental quantitative analysis method, the single-group pre test posttest design, has been used. In order to observe the scientific skill level development of pre-service teachers, the Scientific Process Skills Test and experiment worksheets have been used. Furthermore, the Torrance Test of Creative Thinking has been used for determining the development of creative thinking levels and to specify the development of attitudes towards science experiments, the Attitude Scale towards Understanding the Purpose of Science Experiments has been used. At the end of the study, it was determined that inquirybased laboratory practices improved the scientific process skills and all creative thinking levels and attitudes towards science experiments of pre-service science teachers.

A Case Study of a Science Teacher Training Program for Gifted Children at the Science Learning Centre London

A Case Study of a Science Teacher Training Program for Gifted Children at the Science Learning Centre London

Science Teacher Training in China

The most recent draft of the U.S. “next generation science standards” promoted a practice-oriented approach to inquiry-based science learning ([ 1 ][1]), guided by the 2011 U.S. National Research Council framework for K-12 science education ([ 2 ][2]). The key question is whether science teachers are able to implement practice-oriented, inquiry-based learning. Training is crucial to ensure the quality of teaching described in the “Next generation science standards” report. China faces similar challenges regarding how to offer effective training. The Ministry of Education of China began the National Teacher Training Project (NTTP) in 2010 ([ 3 ][3]) and has invested US$89.6 million every year to provide professional development opportunities for teachers, especially training in inquiry-based learning. The NTTP cultivates lead teachers, who in turn train local teachers. Approximately 68,700 middle school science teachers have taken the 15-day training to be lead teachers since 2010 ([ 3 ][3]). Lead teachers have provided training courses of 10 to 15 days to about 100,000 middle school science teachers ([ 3 ][3]). An effective science teacher training program, in China as well as in the United States, should engage scientists, education psychologists, and excellent middle school science teachers to provide trainees with research-oriented training. My experiences suggest that the NTTP program is meeting these goals. I have designed and led the lead science teacher training program of the NTTP in Soochow University for 4 years. We required the trainees to study science history, research the classic experiments underlying middle school science curriculum, identify problems in science and science teaching, research positive and negative cases of science instruction, and provide inquiry-based science lessons in our partner middle schools and report on the experience. We hope that such thorough training will fundamentally change science education in China. 1. [↵][4]Next Generation Science Standards ([www.nextgenscience.org][5]). 2. [↵][6]Committee on Conceptual Framework for the New K-12 Science Education Standards, National Research Council, A Framework for K–12 Science Education: Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Core Ideas (National Research Council, Washington, DC, 2011). 3. [↵][7]National Teacher Training Project ([www.gpjh.cn/cms][8]) [in Chinese]. [1]: #ref-1 [2]: #ref-2 [3]: #ref-3 [4]: #xref-ref-1-1 View reference 1 in text [5]: http://www.nextgenscience.org [6]: #xref-ref-2-1 View reference 2 in text [7]: #xref-ref-3-1 View reference 3 in text [8]: http://www.gpjh.cn/cms

COMPARISON OF DUTCH AND TURKISH SCIENCE TEACHER TRAINING PROGRAM

The aim of this study is comparing a public university in the Netherlands to a public university in Turkey’s Science teacher training programs. Document analysis used in this study and teacher training programs have been examined. As a result, between in the Netherlands and in Turkey science teacher training programs are same characteristics and differences. In the light of the data obtained it was recommended to update the programs for the training of science teacher training program in Turkey and Netherlands.

The Status of Science Teacher Training Programs in English Science Museum and Gwacheon National Science Museum

The Status of Science Teacher Training Programs in English Science Museum and Gwacheon National Science Museum

Promoting Pre-service Teachers’ Ideas about Nature of Science through Educational Research Apprenticeship

This study suggests a novel approach, which integrates an explicit-reflective nature of science (NOS) instruction into the teachersas-researchers approach to improve pre-service science teachers’ conceptions of NOS. Participants were 48 university fourth-year students in a four-year pre-service science teacher-training program in Turkey. The participants received explicit-reflective NOS instruction and were introduced to some techniques for critically evaluating academic articles, designing and conducting a research project, writing a research report and preparing materials to share the findings of their studies with students and staff of their department at a poster conference. During these activities, the lecturer explicitly addressed the target aspects of NOS and made pre-service science teachers’ thinking more visible and reflective. The Views of Nature of Science Questionnaire (VNOS-C) was used in conjunction with individual interviews to assess participants’ NOS views at the beginning and conclusion of the study. The results indicated that compared with their ideas at the beginning of the course, many pre-service science teachers had developed more ‘informed ideas about NOS’ throughout the course. The significance of this study is that carrying out an educational research with the incorporation of an explicit-reflective instructional model seems to be a promising avenue to improve pre-service science teachers’ ideas about NOS. Some possible implications for pre-service and in-service teacher education and further research are discussed.

How Do Pre-Service Science Teachers’ Views on Science, Scientists, and Science Teaching Change Over Time in a Science Teacher Training Program?

Every aspect of teaching, including the instructional method, the course content, and the types of assessments, is influenced by teachers’ attitudes and beliefs. Teacher education programs play an important role in the development of beliefs regarding teaching and learning. The purpose of the study was to document pre-service teachers’ views on science, scientists, and science teaching as well as the relations between these views and the offered courses over several years spent in an elementary science teacher training program. The sample consisted of 145 pre-service elementary science teachers who were being trained to teach general science to students in the 6th through 8th grades. The research design was a cross-sectional study. Three different instruments were used to collect the data, namely, the “Draw a Scientist Test”, “Draw a Science Teacher Test”, and “Students’ Views about Science” tests. The elementary science teacher training program influenced pre-service science teachers’ views about science, scientists and science teaching to different degrees. The most pronounced impact of the program was on views about science teaching. Participants’ impressions of science teaching changed from teacher-centered views to student-centered ones. In contrast, participants’ views about scientists and science did not change much. This result could be interpreted as indicating that science teacher training programs do not change views about science and scientists but do change beliefs regarding teaching science.

Conducting guided inquiry in science classes using authentic, archived, web-based data

Students are often unable to collect the real-time data necessary for conducting inquiry in science classrooms. Web-based, real-time data could, therefore, offer a promising tool for conducting scientific inquiries within classroom environments. This study used a quasi-experimental research design to investigate the effects of inquiry-based instruction coupled with archived online data. Ninety-six preservice teachers in a four-year elementary science teacher-training program participated in this study. The students were enrolled in three sections of the methods course, and these existing groups were randomly assigned to the treatment groups: traditional instruction, traditional instruction supported with a simulation, and inquiry-based instruction with archived online data. Data were collected with structured interviews and analyzed with the constant comparative method and one-way ANOVA. Before the instructional interventions, none of the participants had a scientific understanding of tides, and 15% of the participants had no conceptual understanding of tides at all. After instruction, 72% of the participants who received inquiry-based instruction with archived online data were categorized as having scientific conceptual understandings; 46% of participants who received traditional instruction supported with a simulation were categorized as having scientific conceptual understandings; and 43% of participants who received traditional instruction were categorized as having scientific conceptual understandings. Statistical analyses showed that the group receiving inquiry-based instruction with archived online data performed significantly better than the other two instructional groups. Inquiry-based instruction with archived online data can be used to effectively perform inquiry activities within science classes; it might be used at different grade levels to teach a variety of scientific content.

How Has Reform in Science Teacher Education Programs Changed Preservice Teachers’ Views About Science?

Reforms are typically criticized for failing to bridge the gap between practitioners and researchers and for the lack of research support provided prior to implementation. Research has indicated that preservice teachers’ understandings of high-quality science teaching are formed by teacher training programs. The purposes of this study are to investigate views about science in preservice teachers in old and new teacher training programs and to determine whether and how these two programs shape teacher trainees’ views of science. A total of 459 students from a 4-year elementary science teacher training program participated in the study. A 41-item instrument was used to collect data. Four factors were extracted from the data, explaining 41.58% of the variance, and the reliability was found to be .86. There were significant differences for both males and females between the old and new programs. However, no difference was found between males’ and females’ total scores. In addition, students from the two programs had significantly different scores on the sub-scales of “Anxiety” and “Uncertainty”. For example, males in the new program had significantly higher scores on the “Anxiety” and “Uncertainty” sub-scales. The overall increase in science course hours and decrease in science method course hours in the new program may account for these findings.

Expectations Of Students And Faculty Members Who Teach Biology At Science And Primary School Teacher Training Programs For An Efficient Biology Instruction

The aim of this study is to determine the expectations of students and fac- ulty members who teach biology based lessons at science and primary school teacher training programs for an efficient biology. The group of sampling is totally 173 students at science teacher education program and primary school teacher train- ing program and 11 faculty members who teach biology based lessons in these pro- grams. Data was collected through a questionnaire. For this aim, faculty members and students were applied a questionnaire including Likert type, closed-ended, semi open-ended and open-ended questions. SPSS 13.0 Statistical Program was used to analyze the data. It was found out that faculty members have more positive attitudes than students. The results indicated that different instruction methods was insuffi- ciently carried out in biology based lessons, which were brought by density of les- son content, insufficiency of class hours and limited education materials. The find- ings also indicated that the textbooks should be reviewed and faculty members should be directed towards in-service training courses for transfering their knowl- edges more efficiently. Besides, most participants explained that faculty directors should struggle more for increasing effectiveness in biology based lessons. Finally, it was suggested what kind of preparations might be made and what kind of meas- ures might be taken.

How are prospective science teachers’ values and their attitudes toward science associated?: Implications for science teacher training programs

This study aimed to examine the associations between prospective science teachers’ values (theoretical, religious, economic, aesthetic, social and political values) and their attitudes towards science teaching. Cross-sectional research design was used. The adapted versions of Science Teaching Attitudes Scale (STAS-II) and Allport Vernon Lindzey Values Tests (SOV) were applied to 337 prospective science teachers. STAS-II and SOV were used for assessing prospective science teachers’ attitudes toward science teaching and their values respectively. As a result of list-wise deletion, the sample appeared to include 281 prospective science teachers. The data were examined with correlation and stepwise multiple regression analysis. The correlation analysis showed that prospective science teachers’ political, social, economic and aesthetic values were not significantly correlated with their attitudes toward science teaching at p<.01 level. On the other hand, prospective science teachers’ theoretical values were positively associated with their attitudes toward science teaching (r=0.155, p<.01). Moreover, prospective science teachers’ religious values were negatively correlated with their attitudes toward science teaching (r=-0.224, p<.01). Multiple regression analysis also indicated that religious values of prospective science teachers were significant predictors of their attitudes toward science teaching (F (2, 280)=14.787, p<.01). It can be concluded that there is a weak positive association between prospective science teachers’ theoretical values and their attitudes toward science teaching. However, regression analysis reveals that theoretical value is not a significant predictor of attitudes toward science teaching. As for significant predictors of prospective science teachers, it is found that religious values of prospective science teachers are significant predictors, which may negatively affect prospective science teachers’ attitudes toward science teaching. So, it is suggested that science teachers must be aware that religion and science are two different ways of knowing. In this respect, the present study emphasizes the importance of explicitly discussing the different ways of knowing in science teacher training programs in order to neutralize the possible negative impacts of religious values of science teachers on their attitudes toward science teaching.

1G1-D4 教員養成と教員研修をリンクした協同的な学びによる授業改善1 : 理科授業を理科教育研修会に結び付ける試み(科学教育人材養成(1),一般研究発表,転換期の科学教育:これからの科学的リテラシー)

1G1-D4 教員養成と教員研修をリンクした協同的な学びによる授業改善1 : 理科授業を理科教育研修会に結び付ける試み(科学教育人材養成(1),一般研究発表,転換期の科学教育:これからの科学的リテラシー)

Computer Inclination of Students and Teachers in Relation to Their STS Views

The computer inclination (CI) of 881 eleventh-grade students and of their 181 teachers in relation to their Science-Technology-Society (STS) views was assessed in randomly selected high schools in British Columbia using a two-part questionnaire: a short, modified version of the Survey of Attitudes Toward Learning About and Working With Computers for the CI, and a condensed form of the Views on Science-Technology-Society (VOSTS) Inventory for the STS views. Significant differences between the computer inclinations of non-STS and STS students and between the STS views of non-STS and STS teachers and students in the “attitude” category were found, but there were no differences between other subgroups on these dimensions. Computer Inclination Indices (CII) and Science/Technology Indices (STx) have been defined and used for the elucidation of possible correlations between the CIIs and the STxs. It is argued that the CIs and STS views of both students and teachers should be assessed and taken into consideration by the educational policy makers and developers of future science curricula and teacher training programs, if the goals of the currently sought reforms in science education are to be attained.

Teaching/learning styles, performance, and students' teaching evaluation in S/T/E/S‐focused science teacher education: A quasiquantitative probe of a case study

AbstractIn response to the new needs for S/T/E/S‐literate science teachers, an S/T/E/S‐oriented ISMMC‐IEE combination model of instruction was implemented in two specially designed undergraduate courses and one graduate course within college science teacher training programs. These three courses served as case studies for class‐based, quasiquantitative pilot investigation aimed at gaining a deeper insight into some of the issues involved in the implementation in college of nontraditional, open‐ended, problem‐solving‐oriented teaching strategies which are in dissonance with the cognitive or affective styles and functional paradigms of most students. This probe into the dissonance issue revealed that prospective teachers are capable of handling the new instructional model and do gain in their higher‐level cognitive learning. However, undergraduates perceive these courses to be either difficult or not in accord with their needs, and their appreciation of the instructional techniques and style employed is different from that of graduate students accordingly. The current study suggests that although the ISMMC‐IEE model is useful in S/T/E/S‐oriented courses in science teacher training programs, special attention to the implementation stage is required to close the gap between students' and S/T/E/S educators' functional paradigms.

A federal role for computers in the schools

a time when federal funding for education has substantially declined, the Computer Contribution Act of 1983, otherwise known as the Apple Bill, would provide for a liberalized tax deduction for donations of computers to elementary and secondary schools. Other bills would provide funds to train teachers to use computers, cancel federal loans to students who become teachers of computer technology (as well as teachers of math or science), and fund reviews of software. Congress has already increased appropriations for the National Science Foundation's precollege math and science teacher training program, and the secretary of education has directed a portion of his discretionary funds into educational technology. This paper addresses two issues: (1) what are the needs associated with computers in the schools and (2) what role should the federal government have in meeting those needs once they have been discerned?

Model for an inservice science teacher training program

Model for an inservice science teacher training program