Perceptions of Pre-Service Secondary Science Teachers on Inquiry-Based Science Education: An Analysis of the Demographic Variables

Abstract

Implementing the inquiry approach in the science classroom represents a challenge for pre-service secondary science teachers due to the perceptions they build around inquiry and determine their future teaching practice. In this work, we analyse the perceptions of 46 students of the science specialities of the Master's Degree in Secondary Education Teaching, using the design of a questionnaire adapted from the PRIMAS project. The results obtained show some initial perceptions of the participants with a very homogeneous profile for the variables analysed, finding them favourable to the inquiry as a teaching approach, although showing some concrete difficulties. We also found some statistically significant differences regarding gender and previous academic and teaching experience. However, the prior research background associated with the science and technological degrees completed by the participants seemed not to affect their perception about inquiry. We finally raise some implications of the results obtained and give some orientation that might be useful for the initial training of secondary science teachers.

Exploring the Contribution of the Five-Factor Mentoring Model in Advancing the Pre-Service Teachers’ Personal and Professional Growth

“…Achor & Duguryil (2014) found no significant difference in the attitude mean score of male and female pre-service teachers exposed to mentoring. García-Ruiz et al (2021) found that female pre-service teachers valued enthusiasm for teaching more than their peers. The pre-service teachers' academic achievement depends significantly on the quality of mentor teachers, which in turn depends on the quality of teacher preparation programs (Castañeda-Trujillo & Aguirre-Hernández, 2018).…”

Effects of an inquiry-based science education training program on pre-service teachers. A mixed-methods case study

“…During recent decades, a wide range of publications has focused on the impact of specific training programs (TPs) aimed at developing pre-service teachers' perceptions and practice of IBSE. A general review of the expressed PSST perceptions on IBSE and the impact of some demographic variables has recently been described by García-Ruiz et al (2021). Regarding the TPs, for instance, Lotter et al (2009) discussed the importance of incorporating multiple low-stakes practicum experiences, resulting in positive changes in PSST perceptions and practice of inquiry.…”

“…The questionnaire consisted of 28 items, written in a combined positive and negative way and structured in three main dimensions: the teaching-learning process of inquiry (I1-I8) (which considered aspects such as interaction in the classroom, experimental activities or the importance of inquiry), the inquiry approach (I9-I16) (which included questions related to the connections between IBST and student motivation, the dependence on the student's initial knowledge or the contribution to scientific competencies development), and the difficulties associated with its implementation (I17-I28) (such as resources, classroom management and educational system restrictions) (García-Ruiz et al, 2021). Since this adapted and translated version of the questionnaire has not been validated yet, we performed the analysis item by item, grouping them into categories according to the original PRIMAS questionnaire (Engeln et al, 2013).…”