 |
Asia-Pacific Forum on Science Learning and Teaching, Volume 13, Issue 2, Article 14 (Dec., 2012) |
An evaluation of an elementary science methods course with respect to preservice teacher’s pedagogical development
Carole Kwan-Ping LEE
University of Maine at Farmington, USA
E-mail: carole.lee@maine.edu
Revised 18 Dec., 2012
Contents
- Abstract
- Introduction
- Purpose of the study
- Methods of study
- Highlights of some of the teaching pedagogies in the science methods course
- Evaluation questionnaire
- Results and discussions
- Learning and understanding the theory for developing a science curriculum (Construct: Theory)
- Understanding effective planning for science teaching and learning (Construct: Planning)
- Implementing effective science teaching practices (Construct: Implementation)
- Limitations of the study
- Conclusion
- References
- Appendix
The science methods course is a requirement for the Bachelor of Science degree in elementary education licensure program in a mid-west state university in the U.S.A. In one semester, the author decided to evaluate the effectiveness of the science methods course in pedagogical content knowledge areas such as theory, planning and implementation. Adapting the instrument of Hudson and Ginns (2007), the author used a questionnaire to understand what preservice elementary teachers learned in the course. Results showed that topics such as classroom management, learning environment and hands-on lessons were well understood by the preservice elementary teachers as they had acquired similar knowledge in other education methods classes. Areas which needed improvement were the nature of science and the implementation of the science curriculum. Also, the findings showed that preservice elementary teachers had a strong positive attitude in science teaching and learning.
Keywords: elementary science, teacher preparation, inquiry science, evaluation, science methods course
