Internationally, learning science through investigation is promoted as a preferred pedagogical approach. Research presented takes a view that such learning depends on how teachers understand science investigation. Teachers' understanding of science investigation was an aspect of an interpretive case study of the phenomenon of science investigation exploring the links between learning, motivation and assessment in year 11 science. Data were collected through a population survey of year 11 science teachers (n=165) in the greater Wellington region through a postal questionnaire (response rate 61%). In addition, all year 11 science teachers in a typical coeducational, middle size, urban secondary school were interviewed (n=10). Findings suggest that science investigation that best supported student learning was understood to include experiments, scientific method, and fair testing, and that few teachers demonstrated understanding of an open-ended science investigation. Teachers' responses indicated the influence of assessment requirements of a linear and sequential fair testing type of investigation. This has implications for teaching investigation as required by the curriculum, and student learning for assessment rather than an understanding of the nature of scientific investigation.

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Abstract"Doing" science in the form of practical work is one pedagogical approach to learning science alongside others such as talking science, writing science, reading science and representing science. However, scientific ideas cannot always be illustrated through practical work or field trips, therefore, different kinds of activities are needed to represent these ideas. This study focused on the power of cogenerative dialogues for teachers to learn about their students and their video preferences for learning science in a secondary science classroom. The analysis of the use of video as a mediating artefact drew on an interpretive approach framed as authentic participant-centered inquiry and employed multiple theoretical frameworks to generate perspectives on the affordances and constraints of learning from video. Through a cogenerative dialogue intervention we found that video could afford the learning of scientific ideas, however, some videographic features were distracting to students and constrained their learning. We argue that video clips as cultural artefacts are inscribed with emotion that structures students' opportunities to engage with scientific ideas. However, to accept the authoritative information presented in videos as facts uncritically was a missed opportunity to shape students' epistemological understanding that scientific knowledge is evidence-based and subject to critique. The implications for designing pedagogical approaches that encourage a critical stance to explore the ongoing social construction and communication of scientific ideas are discussed.

School science aspires for students to develop conceptual, procedural and nature of science understandings as well as developing scientific literacy. Issues and complexities surrounding the development of science curriculum for Indigenous schools in New Zealand is a concern as little is known about these aspects of science learning in wharekura (Māori Indigenous School). This paper draws upon the findings of an empirical study to address the call for research into effective practices for supporting Indigenous students in learning science. The study is part of a larger project investigating and extending our understanding about how New Zealand teachers’ conceptualise science and science inquiry (investigation). Two Māori teachers participated in the research as well as their class who were supported by two researchers. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with teachers. This research reports the findings of how participating teachers’ conceptualise science inquiry and describes their perceptions of how and why their students should learn science and science inquiry. The paper also presents teachers’ views about their own development as science teachers and suggests two models to address the issue of science teaching in wharekura.

Initial teacher education (ITE) is being challenged internationally to prepare teachers with the understandings needed to teach an increasingly diverse student population. Science teachers need to prepare students with both conceptual and procedural understanding. The challenge is to prioritise a balance in ITE courses between theoretical perspectives, curriculum requirements, and pedagogical approaches. This paper presents results of a three-year longitudinal study from pre-service through two years of in-service teacher development, and provides an insight into how pre-service and early carrier teachers gain confidence in their subject matter and pedagogical content knowledge and the teaching strategies they implement.