A phenomenological study of prospective teachers’ first-time science teaching experiences

ABSTRACT

This study provided a phenomenological account of 22 pre-service elementary teachers’ experiences transitioning from being pre-service teachers learning the knowledge base about science instruction to teaching a physical science topic in a microteaching activity. This transition within a phase of the professional teacher continuum is just as crucial as the transitions pre-service teachers take along the professional teacher continuum. This transition provides experiences to make sense of their growing knowledge and skills for science instruction and navigating with the knowledge and skills in student teaching and beyond. Data about the first-time science teaching experiences were collected using an open-ended interview question. Other data included video recordings of each pre-service teacher’s 30-minute microteaching and the use of reflective prompts to verify pre-service teachers’ responses to the interview question. Analysis of interview transcripts, video recordings, and responses to reflective prompts revealed three themes: (1) finding a space for teacher-centered instruction; (2) reimaging the role of engagement and participation with scientific practices; and (3) seeking middle ground for science instruction. An important implication included the need for science teacher educators to help pre-service teachers mediate and internalize pedagogical discourses resulting from first-time science teaching experiences.

KEYWORDS:

• Experiences
• first-time science instruction
• microteaching
• pre-service elementary teachers
• science teaching methods course
• transcendental phenomenology

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Karthigeyan Subramaniam

Dr. Karthigeyan Subramaniam is an Associate Professor of Science Teacher Education in the Department of Teacher Education and Administration, College of Education, University of North Texas. His main research agenda is on pre-service science teachers’ conceptions of their teaching strategies for an asset-based approach to their future students’ learning of science content. He has published widely in many research journals including Journal of Science Teacher Education, Research in Science and Technological Education, Early Childhood Education Journal, Journal of Latinos and Education, and practitioner journals including Science and Children, Science Scope, and the Science Teacher.