Effectiveness of a contextualised and integrated approach to improving and retaining preservice teachers’ views of the nature of science

Abstract

Teachers are key players in supporting the understanding ofepistemological and social aspects affecting the development andvalidation of scientific knowledge, but they often holdinappropriate views of the Nature of Science (NOS), thereforehindering this understanding as an essential part of students’scientific literacy. To tackle this challenge from the initial teachereducation level, an innovative inquiry-based interventioncontextualised in the scientific controversy of spontaneousgeneration has been developed and evaluated by involving pre-service teachers. Results from a pretest/posttest-control groupdesign showed improvements in the understanding of theepistemological and sociological aspects after the intervention.The effect size detected in the experimental group versus thecontrol group was retained and even enhancedfive-and-a-halfmonths after its completion. These results are especially relevantto respond to experts’claims about the need for further studiesto understand the issues related to retention following explicitinstructions about NOS. Additionally, qualitative data provided anenriched picture of the participants’understanding of the NOS,unveiling the complexities of the different issues involved andsuggesting the need to combine quantitative and qualitativestudies. Finally, implications for teacher educators andeducational researchers are presented along with directions forfuture work in thefield