| 1. |
- Nilsson, Pernilla, 1969-, et al.
(författare)
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Do we dare to teach physics? - Primary science student teachers´ development of subject matter knowledge and a positive attitude towards physics
- 2008
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Ingår i: Proceedings of ECER 2008, From Teaching to Learning?. - Berlin : European Educational Research Association (EERA).
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- We know from research that primary school teachers have limited science knowledge which results in a low confidence of teaching science (Appleton, 2003, 2005, 2006). We also know that in particular primary teachers hold conceptions about physical phenomena similar to those hold by school children, although expressed in a more sophisticated language (Cochran & Jones, 1998). The low confidence often results in a teaching limited to ‘science activities that work’ (Appleton, 2003) related to science pedagogical content. Further to this, teachers who have little subject matter knowledge have limited options “…especially if they lack confidence to choose activities that work from science topics about which they know little, or to acquire new science content knowledge for themselves” (Appleton, 2005, p. 42). With this in mind, by focusing attention on how student teachers develop subject matter knowledge and positive attitudes as particular aspects of the knowledge base for teaching (Shulman, 1986, 1987), important factors for this development to occur need to be mapped and conceptualized. In 1986 Shulman focused attention on the subject matter knowledge (SMK) by emphasizing that a teacher cannot explain to his/her students the principles underlying physical phenomena if he/she does not explicitly understand them. Subject matter knowledge refers to a teacher’s quantity, quality and organisation of information, conceptualisations and underlying constructs in a given field of science (Zeidler, 2002). Shulman (1986, 1987) argued further that only subject matter knowledge was not enough for teaching. Hence the question of how the subject matter knowledge was to be transformed made him introduce the term pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) as a special amalgam of subject matter knowledge and knowledge of general pedagogy. In the context of primary science teacher education, research has indicated that primary student teachers often experience physics as difficult and abstract resulting in difficulties to transform the content to the students (Author 1, in press). During physics courses the student teachers learn to use laws and formulas, but they do not manage to link these formulas to the everyday phenomena that they are supposed to teach in primary school. Research has also indicated that science knowledge is a significant factor that influences primary teachers´ attitudes towards and confidence in teaching science (Appleton, 2006, Harlen & Holroyd, 1997). There is a relationship between primary teachers´ subject matter knowledge and their attitudes which in turn affects pupils´ understanding and attitudes (Jarvis & Pell, 2006, Osborne & Simon, 1996).Therefore, the project that underpinned this study aimed to make physics more comprehensible and attractive for primary student teachers so that they become able to teach physics in a stimulating way to young children. Research Questions The following research questions formed the basis from which a research study was constructed to appropriately respond to the overall purpose of the study:• What factors do primary science student teachers consider as important for their development of subject matter knowledge in physics?• How do these factors contribute to the student teachers´ development of SMK and a positive attitude towards physics?
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| 2. |
- Nilsson, Pernilla, 1969-, et al.
(författare)
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Experienced Primary Teachers’ and Primary Science Student Teachers’ Collaborative Learning Through Reflection on Their Science Teaching
- 2008
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Ingår i: 2008 NARST Annual International Conference Program Book.
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper addresses the questions of what and how two mentoring primary teachers and two science primary student teachers learned from their common experiences while planning, implementing, and reflecting on different science teaching activities with students aged 7-9 during a four-week school practicum. During four weeks, two lessons each of the student teachers and two of the mentors were video recorded. In connection to each lesson, the student teacher and the mentor, working in pairs, reflected on the video recorded lesson in a stimulated recall session. The student teachers had had training in scientific knowledge but only brief experience of teaching. The mentors were well experienced in the pedagogy of primary teaching and mentoring, but did not feel confident with their science content knowledge. During the reflections the student teachers and the mentors expressed an increased understanding of both teaching and learning science, an improvement of their own practice, and a collaborative learning experience throughout the process of working, observing and reflecting together. The results support new insight into what learning comes from professional relationships built on the process of planning, teaching and reflecting together.
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| 3. |
- Nilsson, Pernilla, 1969-
(författare)
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Learning to Teach and Teaching to Learn : Primary science student teachers´ complex journey from learners to teachers
- 2008
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This thesis concerns the process of student teachers´ learning to teach primary science and is based on four studies involving primary science student teachers during their teacher education program. The overall question that the thesis intends to investigate is in which ways student teachers’ learning about teaching can be illustrated and understood in terms of the critical aspects that are experienced within their teaching and learning practices. The four papers in the thesis purposefully explore student teachers’ complex journey from learners to teachers and illustrate the processes of learning to teach by highlighting important aspects within that process. In the thesis the concept of pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) is used as the knowledge a teacher needs to construct and implement science learning experiences for pupils. Further to this, the thesis brings into focus the importance of teacher educators’ professional knowledge and how that knowledge must impact teacher education practice. In making explicit student teachers’ experiences and concerns for teaching and learning science, the practices and processes highlighted in this thesis help to inform how to involve student teachers in developing a knowledge base for primary science teaching.
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| 4. |
- Nilsson, Pernilla, 1969-
(författare)
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Recognizing the needs - Student teachers´ learning to teach from teaching
- 2008
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Ingår i: NorDiNa. - Oslo : Naturfagsenteret. - 1504-4556 .- 1894-1257. ; 4:1, s. 92-107
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper is based on an exploration of the ways in which primary science student teachers recognizeand learn about issues that shape their own professional learning. The paper discusses differentperspectives of “knowledgebase needed for teaching” and Shulman’s concept of pedagogical contentknowledge, and explores how elements of knowledge are to be recognized and further developedwithin primary teacher education. Primary science student teacher participants (n = 25) were stimulatedto use portfolios as a tool to reflect upon situations within their six weeks teaching practice inpre- and primary schools in order to facilitate recognizing their knowledge needs. The results give aninsight into what situations within the teaching practice that student teachers consider as importantfor their own learning to teach primary maths and science
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| 5. |
- Nilsson, Pernilla, 1969-
(författare)
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Teaching for understanding : The complex nature of pedagogical content knowledge in pre-service education
- 2008
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Ingår i: International Journal of Science Education. - Oxfordshire, England : Routledge. - 0950-0693 .- 1464-5289. ; 30:10, s. 1281-1299
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper explores the development of student-teachers' pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) during pre-service education. Four student-teachers in mathematics and science participated in a project teaching physics to students aged 9-11 years once a week over a 12-month period. One-third of the lessons were videotaped and the student-teachers were later interviewed using the videotape for stimulated recall. Participants reflected on their classroom practice based on their conceptual understanding of physics. This empirical study emphasises the role of teaching experience and reflection in science teacher education as a way of better understanding the complex entities that constitute a knowledge base for teaching. The paper draws attention to the value of student-teachers participating in experiences that might contribute to the development of their PCK and supports a view of PCK development as a process of transformation.
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| 6. |
- Nilsson, Pernilla, 1969-
(författare)
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What do we need to learn? : Student Teachers´ Teaching Concerns for Learning to Teach Primary Science
- 2008
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Teaching is a complex undertaking and often requires managing unforeseen circumstances, unexpected situations and difficult dilemmas. This paper reports on an empirical study of 22 primary science student teachers’ planning, conducting and evaluating a science lesson with students aged 4-11. The aim of the study was to empirically illustrate how student teachers through reflecting on incidents within the process of planning, conducting and evaluating their first primary science lesson, perceive teaching concerns relevant for their future practice. The critical incidents were identified as situations within the teaching context that put the student teachers “on the spot” – leading to a revision of their immediate feelings, their planned teaching and of their understandings of science.
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