The Science Shortfall: An analysis of the shortage of suitably qualified science teachers in Australian schools and the policy implications for universities

Harris, Kerri‐Lee; Farrell, Kelly

doi:10.1080/13600800701351744

Cited by 20 publications

(17 citation statements)

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“…The second is that much of the responsibility for scientific literacy in the community is in the hands of secondary and tertiary biology teachers. Declining enrolments of students in secondary and tertiary physical sciences continues to be a major problem (Dobson 2007;Lyons 2006), there is a widespread shortfall of experienced secondary science teachers internationally (e.g., for UK see Gorard et al 2006; for US see Moin et al 2005), and most secondary school science teachers, at least in the Australian context, are biologists (Harris and Farrell 2007). The ripples from undergraduate biology courses have therefore to spread a long way.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Learning in First-Year Biology: Approaches of Distance and On-Campus Students

Quinn

2009

Res Sci Educ

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This paper aims to extend previous research into learning of tertiary biology, by exploring the learning approaches adopted by two groups of students studying the same first-year biology topic in either on-campus or off-campus "distance" modes. The research involved 302 participants, who responded to a topic-specific version of the Study Process Questionnaire, and in-depth interviews with 16 of these students. Several quantitative analytic techniques, including cluster analysis and Rasch differential item functioning analysis, showed that the younger, on-campus cohort made less use of deep approaches, and more use of surface approaches than the older, off-campus group. At a finer scale, clusters of students within these categories demonstrated different patterns of learning approach. Students' descriptions of their learning approaches at interview provided richer complementary descriptions of the approach they took to their study in the topic, showing how deep and surface approaches were manifested in the study context. These findings are critically analysed in terms of recent literature questioning the applicability of learning approaches theory in mass education, and their implications for teaching and research in undergraduate biology.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Learning in First-Year Biology: Approaches of Distance and On-Campus Students

Quinn

2009

Res Sci Educ

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“…There is also a shortage of appropriately qualified mathematics and science teachers in schools (Harris & Farrell, 2007), especially at the secondary school level (Tytler, 2007). From this perspective the present imperative for teacher training in Australia (Australian Institute of Teaching and School Leadership, 2012) highlights teacher quality in the form of specific teaching standards (the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers), which seek to articulate quality teaching practices as the basis for improved student learning outcomes (cf.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Emotional Literacy and Pedagogical Confidence in Pre-Service Science and Mathematics Teachers

Yeigh¹,

Woolcott²,

Donnelly³

et al. 2016

AJTE

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“…In one study, Yeigh et al (2016) point out that professional knowledge and skills are important for the profession of teaching and that it is important to acquire these skills and knowledge during preservice training. In another study, Harris and Farrell (2007) found that the teachers who taught science had not been trained well during undergraduate education and that their ways of teaching were not thus sufficiently effective. In one other study, Alt (2018) reported that the science teachers lacked certain professional qualifications, and the researcher suggested that these deficiencies could be overcome with the help of such methods as distance education and in-service pieces of training.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of the Science Laboratory Applications Course in a Pre-service Primary School Teacher Curriculum

Altunova

Artun

2020

J. Sci. Learn.

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In this study, the Science Laboratory Applications (SLA) course given in a department of Elementary School Teaching in Turkey was evaluated for effectiveness. A triangulation research design, with mixed methods, was employed based on research data collected via a semi-structured interview form, a Science Experiments Evaluation Rubric (SEER) developed by the researchers, and the researchers’ diary notes. The study group included 66 preservice teachers in their second year of study. To select the participants, a maximum variation sampling method was used with the qualitative interviews. The SEER scores were analyzed using the packaged software of SPSS, while interview data were evaluated using content analysis, and descriptive analysis was applied to the researcher’s diary notes. The quantitative and qualitative results obtained in the study revealed that preservice teachers achieved the course outcomes as well as the objectives of the curriculum. Based on these results, several suggestions are put forward for future researchers and practitioners.Keywords Elementary school preservice teacher, curriculum evaluation, course of science laboratory applications

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The Science Shortfall: An analysis of the shortage of suitably qualified science teachers in Australian schools and the policy implications for universities

Cited by 20 publications

References 0 publications

Learning in First-Year Biology: Approaches of Distance and On-Campus Students

Learning in First-Year Biology: Approaches of Distance and On-Campus Students

Emotional Literacy and Pedagogical Confidence in Pre-Service Science and Mathematics Teachers

Evaluation of the Science Laboratory Applications Course in a Pre-service Primary School Teacher Curriculum

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