The Understanding Held by Nigerian Science Teachers of Some Science Concepts.

N

25

Practitioners; Researchers

Aptitude Tests; Foreign Countries; Higher Education; Misconceptions; Preservice Teacher Education; Process Education; Science Education; Science Teachers; Secondary Education; Secondary School Science; Teacher Evaluation; Testing

In considering implications for teaching and learning found in research, a number of writers have urged teachers to probe students conceptions before teaching a concept. The purpose of this probing is to allow the teacher to begin instruction from the conceptual position or positions of the students. This approach carries with it the assumption that teachers themselves have an understanding of the concept which is congruent with the view of science. The fundamental purpose of this study was to explore the validity of this assumption about the nature of the understanding of high school teachers in Nigeria. It was based on a constructivist view of learning. Practicing high school teachers (N=251) took a written test on concepts that they had been teaching and 45 agreed to be interviewed following the test. Another group of 157 trainees was also given the test. Examples of questions and response patterns were given. The study concluded that teachers exhibit the same range of misconceptions as students. Teachers tend to use more sophisticated terminology and have a generally lower frequency of misconceptions. There were no systematic trends by teacher qualifications. Tertiary science teaching is suggested as the appropriate source of the problem. (CW)

1988

ED292633