Four case studies of prospective science teachers' beliefs concerning constructivist teaching practices

Abstract

ABSTRACT:To gain a better understanding of the emerging constructivist beliefs and classroom practices, case studies were constructed for four prospective teachers who were purposely selected as a result of their scores on the Classroom Learning Environment Survey (CLES) (Taylor, Fraser, & White, A classroom environment questionnaire for science educators interested in the constructivist reform of school science. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching, Anaheim, CA, 1994). The case studies provided insight into two primary questions (1) what are the beliefs of the prospective science teacher regarding constructivist teaching practices and (2) are these beliefs consistent with subsequent classroom practice? The components of constructivist teaching by Taylor, Fraser, and White (1994) were used as a theoretical framework in conjunction with Ajzen and Fishbein's components of the Theory of Planned Behavior (Ajzen, 1985). Data collection consisted of document analysis, classroom observation, and interviews. Data were analyzed using the constant comparative method. Findings from the case studies suggest that at least two kinds of beliefs were in operation: central beliefs and peripheral beliefs. The central beliefs were defined as those dictating subsequent teaching behaviors; whereas the peripheral beliefs were those that were stated but not operationalized.

At the Elbows of Scientists: Shaping Science Teachers’ Conceptions and Enactment of Inquiry-Based Instruction

“…Reflecting on practice engaged teachers with their preexisting beliefs about IBI. Several studies have established an inextricable link between teacher beliefs and the teaching strategies employed in the science classroom (Gunel 2009;Haney and McArthur 2002;Mansour 2009). Changes in teachers' beliefs or conceptions are central to the shift towards IBI and must be adequately addressed in science PD programs (Luft 2001).…”

Novice and expert teachers' conceptions of learners' prior knowledge

“…There seems to be an assumption that by simply stating to preservice teachers that prior knowledge is important means that they will believe it, and that they will know how to integrate it into their instructional practices. Haney and McArthur (2002) suggest, "studies examining the constructivist beliefs of teachers are necessary to understand a teacher's journey as they attempt to implement constructivist teaching and learning practices" (p. 784). The exploratory study reported here involved novice and expert teachers and explored how the core constructivist concept of prior knowledge was understood and acted upon by these teachers.…”

In-Service Mathematics Teachers’ Beliefs About Teaching, Learning and Nature of Mathematics and Their Mathematics Teaching Practices

“…Güven, Karataş, öztürk, Arslan, & Gürsoy (2013) aimed to set a scale that is characterized by a high level of stability to measure the beliefs of pre-service and in-service math teachers toward teaching and learning mathematics. Haney & McArthur (2002) conducted a study investigating two questions pinpointing science teachers' beliefs as constructivists, and to what extent these beliefs correspond with real teaching practices, and concluded that there were in fact two main types of beliefs: central beliefs and peripheral ones. Another study by Staub & Stern (2002) featured a sample of 496 elementary students whose performance and skills in mathematical problem-solving were measured.…”