This study sought to better understand how past science learning experiences affected preservice elementary teachers, both in terms of their own self-efficacy and their perceptions of science teaching and learning at the beginning of their science methods course. Following an explanatory sequential mixed methods design, this study first involved…

Pre-service teachers face many challenges as they learn to teach in ways that are different from their own educational experiences. Pre-service teachers often enter teacher education courses with pre-conceptions about teaching and learning that may or may not be consistent with contemporary learning theory. To build on preservice teachers' prior…

Seventy-six undergraduate students in an introductory science methods class for prospective teachers were randomly assigned to either a student directed or an instructor directed section. Using analysis of variance, it appeared that neither approach had an overall advantage in the attainment of course objectives, although interaction patterns…

Investigates the effects of a humanistic teaching-learning environment on the attitudes of preservice teachers and attempts to determine whether activities designed to clarify attitudes are useful in improving attitudes toward science. Participants in the study were 134 preservice teachers. Findings revealed that the humanistic environment was…

Investigates the relationship between dogmatism (inversely related to open-mindedness) and attitudes toward science of preservice elementary school teachers. Both groups had experienced an inquiry oriented science methods course. Significant negative correlations between dogmatism and attitudes were found for both groups. (CP)

The philosophical viewpoints of 56 preservice elementary school teachers were measured prior to and following a fourteen-week methods course. Following treatment, subjects viewed science as more tentative and uncertain than did those in a control group. (CP)

Determined whether the field experience component of an undergraduate science methods course influenced teachers' concerns and attitudes toward science and science teaching. Age, grade-point average, openmindedness, and school assignment were examined as variables which might explain some of the variance in the dependent measures. (Author/JN)

Documented training and educational activities of preservice elementary education majors (N=20) to determine what (if any) aspects of their science training contribute to developing the apprehension elementary teachers have toward science, science education, and science instruction. Results, conclusions, and implications are reported from the…

Discusses activities that occurred during an elementary science methods course, and the fact that the students' success in these activities was not correlated with measures of success in a classroom teaching exercise as determined by assisting teachers. (MLH)

Compares changes in attitudes toward science and open-mindedness in treatment and nontreatment groups of preservice elementary teachers enrolled in an inquiry-oriented methods course and an expository freshman physics course, respectively. Concludes that course design effects a difference in attitude and open-mindedness. (CS)

The use of hands-on and of nonmanipulative training in process skills are compared to determine the effects on preservice teachers' knowledge of process skills, understanding of science, and attitudes toward science, science teaching and method of instruction. The results show a need for training teachers in process skills using an individualized…