Primary school teachers need adequate professional knowledge and motivational orientations to qualify scientifically and technologically literate students. Previous studies have focused on the impact of coursework on (pre-service) primary teachers’ content knowledge, rather than on the development of academic self-concepts. In addition, the influence of the course format and the major field of study has not been investigated much to this date. Thus, this study examines the effects of an interdisciplinary course on pre-service primary teachers’ content knowledge and academic self-concepts in science and technology using a quasi-experimental, quantitative, pre-post-follow-up design (n = 202). Whilst no significant changes in knowledge were revealed for the baseline group not participating in the course, significant short-term and long-term cognitive gains were found for the experimental group. Biology-, chemistry-, physics- and technology-related self-concepts increased significantly when participating in the course. The results also indicate that the course format and major field of study can have an impact on the development of pre-service teachers’ professional knowledge. Regarding the development of academic self-concepts in the experimental group, it can be assumed that both the weekly and block course format are beneficial for heterogeneous learner groups consisting of pre-service teachers with different major fields of study.

ZusammenfassungSchüler*innen sind immer weniger von ihren naturwissenschaftlichen Fähigkeiten überzeugt. Um diesem Problem im Kontext naturwissenschaftlichen Unterrichts begegnen zu können, gilt es, die auf das naturwissenschaftliche Fähigkeitsselbstkonzept (FSK) wirkenden Faktoren zu identifizieren. Individuelle, soziale und kriteriale Bezugsnormen üben einen nachweisbaren Einfluss auf schulische FSK aus. Welche Bezugsnorm Schüler*innen zur Einschätzung ihres experimentbezogenen FSK heranziehen ist Gegenstand der vorliegenden Studie. Diese wurde mit 169 Schüler*innen der gymnasialen Oberstufe realisiert. Hierzu wurde der FbeFSK (Fragebogen zur Erfassung des bezugsnormbelasteten experimentbezogenen FSK) eingesetzt, welcher – in Orientierung an den Skalen zur Erfassungen des schulischen Selbstkonzepts (SESSKO) – das experimentbezogene FSK in drei bezugsnormbelasteten Skalen (individuell, sozial, kriterial) und einer absoluten Skala erfasst. Dessen Validität wurde faktoranalytisch überprüft und die Reliabilität optimiert. Die resultierenden Skalen wurden in multiplen Regressionsanalysen eingesetzt, um den Einfluss der drei bezugsnormbelasteten Skalen auf das experimentbezogene FSK zu untersuchen. Ein besonders hoher positiver Einfluss des kriterialbelasteten FSK auf das absolute experimentbezogene FSK kann festgestellt werden. Der Vergleich der standardisierten Regressionskoeffizienten zeigt jedoch kaum einen Einfluss der beiden anderen Prädiktoren. Neben der Qualität der Skalen und den Ursachen der Befunde werden Implikationen für die Praxis des naturwissenschaftlichen Experimentalunterrichts diskutiert.

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Primary school students often do not have differentiated conceptions of human organs and organ systems. As understanding the inner structure of the human body is an elementary prerequisite for the development of health awareness, appropriate forms of teaching must be developed to modify students’ fragmented preconceptions about the inside of their bodies into scientifically accurate concepts. Anatomical models are considered a medium to raise awareness of organs and their systemic integration; however, only a few studies have investigated their effectiveness in the context of primary school. This intervention study, therefore, examines the effect of anatomical models on the conceptions of inner organs in German primary school students (N = 45) in a pretest, posttest, and follow-up test design with anatomy teaching between pre- and posttests. Concepts were measured using students' drawings in two treatment groups (anatomical models versus anatomical illustrations). While in both treatment groups students' conceptions changed toward more scientific concepts, there was little difference in the changes between the two groups. There were even indications that the students of the control group showed more pronounced increases, for example, in long-term systemic integration of the organs. We discuss the reasons for this and furnish recommendations for effective teaching practices.