Changes in Perceptions and Attitudes of Pre‐service Postgraduate Secondary Science Teachers: a comparative study of programmes in Israel, England and Wales

Abstract

This study dealt with the development of English‐Welsh and Israeli pre‐service secondary science teachers immediately before and after their initial teacher education (ITE) courses. Data were collected through a questionnaire and interviews conducted during and at the end of courses. The main findings of the study are four‐fold: (1) Both groups possessed progressive ideas about science education before entering the programme. (2) Almost all the original significant differences between the two groups remained after the students had participated in the programmes. (3) Throughout their teaching practices, almost all students passed through a dynamic process of transformation and changed their perceptions/attitudes about science education in schools. The British students, however, developed more progressive ideas and positive attitudes of a professional kind than the Israelis. (4) The influence of university tutors was effective only whilst the students found that their ideas provided them with useful, practical teaching tools. The students only dimly understood the relevance of many theoretical and philosophical ideas presented. Here, too, the English‐Welsh programme was more effective, whilst the Israeli students expressed a clear dissatisfaction with theirs. It is suggested that the university‐ and school‐based partnership model in England and Wales for the education and training of secondary science teachers is more effective than the Israeli university‐based model. However, even the British course is not effective enough and there remains a need for significant changes in pre‐service and early in‐service teacher education.