The Conceptions and Thoughts of Student Teachers in Regard to the Planning and Practice of Science Teaching

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the thoughts and ideas of student teachers in regard to the planning and practice of science teaching based on classroom experience in the teaching practicum. It was found that the student teachers believed that inclusion of experiments in the science lessons would interest the students and make the learning of science more enjoyable and that such experiments would promote factual knowledge and understanding. On the other hand, student teachers did not think (but their experienced teacher did) that there might be gaps between their teaching plans and the actual behavior of the students. And also it was found that student teachers did not have concrete and appropriate "learners' points of view." Furthermore, this study discusses a number of issues concerning the development of teachers' ability to plan and practice science teaching. The following suggestions are made. It is important for student teachers to examine whether there are gaps between their assumptions and the actual behavior of the students, and if there are, to analyze the contents and causes of the gaps. The student teachers then need to reflect and reconstruct their teaching knowledge from "the learners' points of view" in conjunction with their views of experiments and science teaching.