Comparing Traditional Pedagogical Approches in Science to Inquiry Based Ones: A Case Study with Pre-Service Primary School Teachers

Abstract

In this contribution we discuss a teaching/learning experiment focused on comparing traditional teaching/learning methods to the IBSE approaches in the framework of pre-service primary school teacher education. We discuss the main phases of the pedagogical activities developed during a physics education course in the framework of the undergraduate course for pre-service primary school teacher education at the University of Palermo (Italy). In this course, the students first produced examples of pedagogical paths based on a traditional, pedagogical laboratory-based approach. Then, after a workshop focused on IBSE and on how to plan IBSE-optimized activities, the students were asked to produce new pedagogical materials in the light of the new IBSE methodologies experimented. At the end, the students were asked to do a metacognitive reflection of the differences between their traditional and IBSE products and discuss their ideas all together. Then, some preliminary results of the analysis of data coming from the administration to the pre-service teachers of pre- and post-instruction tests are discussed. These tests were focused on student typical teaching styles, on their motivation in learning and teaching science and on their difficulties in planning scientific activities in the classroom. Data coming from the preliminary analysis of pre-service teacher worksheets and logbooks are also presented.