ABSTRACT

Courses in teacher training programmes, especially science method courses, play a major role in the development of beliefs. Because children’s science learning starts in preschool years, it is critical to investigate early childhood teachers’ beliefs about scientists and science teaching. The purpose of this study was to describe, document, and then compare the pre-service and in-service early childhood teachers’ beliefs about scientists and science teaching. A causal-comparative design with unequal sample sizes was used. The independent variables were the type of service, pre-service or in-service. The dependent variable was the score obtained on the ‘Draw a Scientist Test’ and the ‘Draw a Science Teacher Test'. The sample consisted of 139 pre-service and in-service early childhood teachers. Pre-service teachers were studying in a teacher-training programme at a major research university and in-service teachers were working in public schools in the south part of Turkey. The results indicate that inservice teachers held more stereotypical images than pre-service teachers about scientists. In addition, pre-service teachers had positive belief of scientists while in the training programme, but in-service teachers lacked this positive belief. A key implication of the study is that more professional training for in-service teachers should be offered within professional development programmes.

摘要

教师培训计划中的课程，特别是科学方法课程，在信念的发展中发挥着重要作用。由于儿童的科学学习从学龄前开始，因此调查幼儿教师对科学家和科学教学的信念至关重要。本研究的目的是描述、记录并比较职前和在职幼儿教师对科学家和科学教学的信念。使用样本量不等的因果比较设计。自变量是服务类型、服务前或服务中。因变量是“绘制科学家测试”和“绘制科学教师测试”获得的分数。样本包括 139 名职前和在职幼儿教师。职前教师正在一所主要研究型大学的教师培训项目中学习，在职教师则在土耳其南部的公立学校工作。结果表明，在职教师对科学家的看法比职前教师更为刻板。此外，职前教师在培训期间对科学家抱有积极信念，但在职教师缺乏这种积极信念。这项研究的一个重要意义是，应该在专业发展计划中为在职教师提供更多的专业培训。此外，职前教师在培训期间对科学家抱有积极信念，但在职教师缺乏这种积极信念。该研究的一个关键含义是，应在专业发展计划中为在职教师提供更多的专业培训。此外，职前教师在培训期间对科学家抱有积极信念，但在职教师缺乏这种积极信念。这项研究的一个重要意义是，应该在专业发展计划中为在职教师提供更多的专业培训。