Rethinking the nature of science knowledge construction: a fruitful focus for pre-service primary teacher education

Abstract

This thesis explores a range of factors that have the potential to influence the nature of science views constructed by learners of science. A particular focus is placed on the ways in which learners may conceptualize the processes of construction of new science knowledge. From a theoretical perspective, it is initially argued that the role of established and validated theory in the construction of new scientific understandings may not be readily identified by many learners, including pre-service primary student teachers. The findings of the case study carried out with a small group of pre-service primary student teachers bear this out. These findings have implications for pre-service science teacher education. A lack of understanding of this key aspect of the nature of science is highly likely to limit the purposes for science teaching that can be envisaged. It could also make it more difficult for student teachers to resolve tensions between some aspects of child centred learning theory and ideas that they may hold about how science should be taught, based on their own experiences as learners of science. In view of these difficulties, the case is made that the processes of new knowledge construction in science should be explicitly explored as part of a pre-service science education programme. A 'thinking template' has been developed to assist student teachers - and, in turn, their own students - to 'think with' science theory as well as 'thinking about' it.