Abstract:

Among the approaches that can favour a meaningful learning of science, inquiry-based learning (IBL), where students are involved in authentic scientific investigations, is becoming increasingly important. Although in IBL the learners are at the center of the didactic action, teachers play a prominent role in determining its efficacy, since their attitude and actions can favour or hinder learning through inquiry. For this reason, it is of paramount importance that teachers themselves are involved in inquiry-based learning experiences since their initial training.

This research has focused on how the practices of inquiry, or ‘scientific practices’ (defined according to the K-12 Framework for Science Education) are perceived by pre-service primary teachers in terms of self-efficacy, and how they are developed during a 12-hour physics laboratory included in the teachers’ initial training, with a specific focus on ‘constructing explanations’. Specifically, our research questions were:
(1) What is the self-efficacy perception of pre-service primary teachers towards the practices of inquiry, both in terms of personal efficacy and efficacy as future teachers?
(2) What processes and practices are activated by pre-service teachers during the physics laboratory?
(3) In particular, what are the characteristics of the process of constructing explanations?

We used a mixed methods research design. Starting from a large-sample survey, we then focused on a case study. All the students (156) were asked to answer a questionnaire about their science background and their perceived self-efficacy in the practices of inquiry. Then, the laboratory work of a subset of 32 students was observed. Finally, we focused on one subgroup of four students, analysing their conversations and written products. Several data sources were then taken into account: the initial questionnaire, observation rubrics filled in during the laboratory sessions, the audio transcripts of students’ conversations, and the laboratory journals produced at the end of the laboratory.

Our results suggest that a stronger science background leads to higher self-efficacy perceptions. Interestingly, self-efficacy about teaching scientific practices was higher than personal self-efficacy about using the practices. The lowest self-efficacy perception was observed for ‘developing and using models’ and ‘using mathematics and computational thinking’, while the highest self-efficacy perception was found for ‘asking questions and defining problems’; ‘engaging in argument from evidence’; ‘obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information’.

During the lab, the subgroups showed different interaction styles and used different strategies to build knowledge. ‘Constructing explanations’ and ‘developing models’ were the practices where the students encountered more difficulties. These elements were found also in the laboratory journals, where students mostly mentioned direct experience rather than engaging in the interpretation of data or the generalisation of their observations.

Concerning the construction of explanations, we observed that the process involved two main actions: making reference to evidence and relating the new elements to previous knowledge. A positive interaction among peers seemed to favour a more effective construction of explanations.

We believe that these results can be used as the basis to design more effective pre-service teacher training programmes about teaching science as inquiry.

Keywords:

Pre-service teachers, STEM education, primary school, inquiry-based learning, scientific practices.