Primary School Teachers' Understanding of Science Concepts

Abstract

This article develops a rationale for research into primary school teachers' understanding of science concepts and describes research in this area conducted in 1987-88. In-depth interviews of an opportunity sample of 20 primary teachers were used to investigate the teachers' understanding of physical science concepts taken from the British Government's policy document Science 5-16. The findings show that nearly all the teachers interviewed hold views of science concepts that are not in accord with the generally accepted scientific viewpoint. Teachers' responses to the interviews are described with the non-specialist reader in mind, and four general categories of respondent tentatively identified. Some implications of the findings for teacher education are described.The work reported is the initial stage of an on-going project which will later seek to establish the prevalence of particular views in a large number of primary teachers and, in light of the results, produce in-service training materials to help improve understanding in areas identified as most problematical.

Prospective Primary School Teachers’ Perceptions on Boiling and Freezing

“…The results showed that a considerable number of prospective primary school teachers held misunderstandings. Some of the misunderstandings detected were similar to those reported by other studies investigating primary school teachers (e.g., Lawrenz, 1986;Kruger & Summers, 1988;Kruger, 1990;Kruger, Summers & Palacio, 1990;Mant & Summers, 1993). Findings obtained from the interviews showed that students tended to use their daily life experiences to explain questions especially related to boiling.…”

“…This is supported by the observation that the participants of Group-A had a higher level of achievement than the participants of Group-B in the introductory chemistry course, as shown in Table 2. Studies on primary school teachers' knowledge of scientific content have demonstrated that teachers have an inadequate scientific background and are unable to draw on their own understanding of these concepts to help facilitate understanding in their students (Kruger & Summers, 1988;Smith & Neale, 1989). Anderson and Mitchener (1994) described prospective primary teachers' knowledge in science as limited in amount, narrow in perspective and characterized by lack of understanding.…”

The impact of a curriculum course on pre-service primary teachers' science content knowledge and attitudes towards teaching science

“…A number of studies (Kruger and Summers 1988;Harlen and Holroyd 1997;Jarvis and Pell 2004) show primary teachers' understanding of key science concepts often differs from the generally accepted scientific standpoint. Many of their ideas are very similar to the 'misconceptions' or 'alternative conceptions' commonly recognised in children (Driver 1983).…”

“…There is a considerable amount of research that shows primary teachers' understanding of key science concepts often differs from the generally accepted scientific viewpoint (Kruger and Summers 1988;Harlen and Holroyd 1997). Kruger and Summers conducted a longitudinal study on primary teachers' ideas about forces and energy.…”

“…McDiarmid, Ball, and Anderson (1989, 198) suggest that 'teachers' capacity to pose questions, select a task, and evaluate their pupils' understanding all depend on how they themselves understand the subject matter'. Osborne and Simon (1996, 101) similarly state that 'the difficulties caused by teacher subject knowledge may be the rock on which primary science education may founder'.A number of studies (Kruger and Summers 1988;Harlen and Holroyd 1997;Jarvis and Pell 2004) show primary teachers' understanding of key science concepts often differs from the generally accepted scientific standpoint. Many of their ideas are very similar to the 'misconceptions' or 'alternative conceptions' commonly recognised in children (Driver 1983).…”