A Study on Science Teaching Orientations of Secondary Pre-service Teachers

Research on science teacher education has extensively focused on pedagogical content knowledge (PCK), which is the knowledge necessary to teach specific topics effectively. Science teaching orientations are regarded as a critical component of PCK and are essential for implementing inquiry-based science teaching. This mixed-method research investigated the science teaching orientations of secondary pre-service teachers. Thirteen pre-service teachers participated in this study after their teacher education programme. The Pedagogy of Science Teaching Test and semi-structured interviews were employed to collect the data. The quantitative data indicated that the pre-service teachers favoured inquiry-based instruction in science teaching, primarily aligning with guided inquiry. The qualitative analysis revealed that the pre-service teachers’ perspectives on effective approaches to students’ learning, their concerns about students’ abilities, and the nature of the content influenced their instructional methods. In light of the study’s findings, suggestions for enhancing science teacher education are explored to strengthen inquiry-based science teaching practices in classrooms.