Demonstrations as a part of inquiry-based teaching in science teacher education

Good practical work entails a variety of forms across science disciplines. However, there is unequal development of scholarship between laboratory work and science demonstrations. Demonstrations have the potential to be developed in support of inquiry-based science education. The challenge is that they require careful consideration of not only an appropriate pedagogical framework but also good knowledge of who the students are. This small-scale study describes an intervention implemented in an MSc-level science education course for preservice science teachers, in which demonstration as an instructional strategy was introduced within an inquiry-based science education framework. Reflections on potentials and challenges as well as implications for future pedagogical development work are presented.