Improving Chilean In-Service Elementary Teachers' Understanding of Nature of Science Using Self-Contained NOS and Content-Embedded Mini-Courses

Autor/inn/en	Cofré, Hernán; Vergara, Claudia; Lederman, Norman G.; Lederman, Judith S.; Santibáñez, David; Jiménez, Javier; Yancovic, Macarena
Titel	Improving Chilean In-Service Elementary Teachers' Understanding of Nature of Science Using Self-Contained NOS and Content-Embedded Mini-Courses
Quelle	In: Journal of Science Teacher Education, 25 (2014) 7, S.759-783 (25 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1046-560X
DOI	10.1007/s10972-014-9399-7
Schlagwörter	Foreign Countries; Elementary School Teachers; Teacher Attitudes; Faculty Development; Scientific Literacy; Pedagogical Content Knowledge; Minicourses; Inferences; Science Instruction; Questionnaires; Interviews; Chile + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Ausland; Elementary school; Teacher; Teachers; Grundschule; Volksschule; Lehrer; Lehrerin; Lehrende; Lehrerverhalten; Pädagogische Kompetenz; Kurzlehrgang; Inference; Inferenz; Teaching of science; Science education; Natural sciences Lessons; Naturwissenschaftlicher Unterricht; Fragebogen; Interviewing; Interviewtechnik
Abstract	Understanding nature of science (NOS) is considered critical to the development of students' scientific literacy. However, various studies have shown that a large number of elementary and secondary science teachers do not possess an adequate understanding of NOS. This study investigated how elementary teachers' understanding of NOS was impacted through a 1-year professional development program in Chile that included NOS instruction as a theme throughout two types of mini-courses in the program. Twelve teachers attended a 1-year development program focused on improving teacher content knowledge and included the instruction of NOS embedded in two self-contained NOS mini-courses (36 h) and two lessons (3 h each) within five science content mini-courses (30 h). The Views of NOS (version D+) questionnaire and interviews were used to assess teachers' understanding of NOS at the beginning (January) and end of the program (December). Elementary teachers' understanding of the creative, inferential, and tentative aspect of NOS showed improvement. According to the teachers' perceptions, the most significant activities for improving their NOS understanding were decontextualized activities in both types of mini-courses (self-contained NOS and science content mini-courses). The implications for professional development programs are also discussed. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10