Abstract:
Lack of science content knowledge has often been suggested as
underpinning primary teachers' reluctance to teach science or to provide
limited learning opportunities when doing so. Understanding better the full
range and nature of teacher knowledges that afford useful science learning
opportunities in primary science education could produce a more positive
view of primary teachers' potential for science teaching and usefully inform
professional development in science. This research used a multiple case
study approach to identify the nature of knowledges and beliefs that three
teachers from schools well regarded for teaching science at Years 7 and 8
brought to their implementation of a unit of work in science. Students'
perceptions of learning pertaining to the science unit were also examined.
The influence of teacher knowledges on opportunities for science learning
was considered and the ways in which the teachers developed science
related teacher knowledges was investigated.
Sociocultural theories of learning underpin this study and the extent to which
the teachers incorporated sociocultural approaches in their science teaching
was a particular focus. Frameworks guiding the analysis of the range of
teacher knowledges and of sociocultural teaching approaches were
developed from the literature. Data for each case study included
observations and transcripts of recordings of the lessons forming each
science unit together with multiple interviews with the teacher throughout its
implementation. Interviews with focus students during and following the unit
along with responses to a questionnaire completed by the class at the end of
the unit provided insights into students’ perceptions of what they had learned.
This study found that the teachers drew on a wide range of knowledges and
beliefs to promote science learning. The teachers employing sociocultural
approaches afforded most syntactic science learning opportunities. Crucially
influential on the nature of science learning that was promoted was the
teacher's orientation to science teaching, in particular, beliefs about the
purposes and nature of science and science teaching. Four processes were
identified that facilitated the teachers' development of science and
pedagogical content knowledge: intentional development, reflection, repetition, and engaging and observing students in investigating the natural
world. The nature of knowledge developed by each teacher was afforded and
constrained by their orientation to science teaching and their recognition of
and access to, sources of support. Learning science content, i.e., substantive
science learning, was identified by students where this had been the focus of
learning and assessment opportunities because of their teacher's particular
orientation. Learning about the nature of science, i.e., syntactic science
learning, was identified where this was the sole focus of learning and
assessment opportunities. In the one case where the teacher's orientation
afforded both types of learning opportunity with apparently equal emphasis,
students more readily identified substantive science ideas over syntactic
ideas as new or important learning.
