Pre-service Teachers’ Feelings and their Change toward Gender Differences in Science Learning:

Based on a Practical Lesson about “Science Learning and Gender Differences”

Abstract

In foreign countries, “teacher in-service education” is emphasized to encourage girls to learn science. Girls’ dislike of science is also a pressing problem in Japan, and studies with regard to teacher in-service and pre-service education are needed. First, in this study, gender differences in pre-service teachers’ feelings toward science learning and their knowledge concerning gender in science learning became clear. Then a lesson about “science learning and gender differences” was developed and practiced in a teacher training course in order to promote pre-service teachers’ understanding about the actual conditions of the gender differences in science learning and the factors which are influential and in order to make them recognize the necessity of encouraging girls to learn science. Pre-service teachers’ understanding about gender differences was promoted by this lesson almost without regard to the sex of the pre-service teachers. However there were some pre-service teachers who didn’t recognize the necessity of thinking how to teach science to improve girls’ science learning in the future.