disseminating inquiry-based science and ... - Fibonacci-Project

46 FIBONACCI CONFERENCE 2012 ∙ FRIDAY 27 TH APRIL: 9.30AM – 11.00AM
A new model for inquiry-based, academic pre-service teacher
education
Maaike van den Herik 1 , Welmoet Damsma 2 , Ineke Schaveling 1 and Ed van den Berg 2
1 University of Amsterdam
2 Hogeschool van Amsterdam
In the Netherlands elementary teacher education traditionally has been part of vocational higher
education and not of university education. Over the past few years several Dutch universities have
set up university level elementary teacher education programmes jointly with teacher colleges. The
purpose is to attract talented students with a strong academic background to the teaching
profession. The University of Amsterdam and the Hogeschool of Amsterdam have a joint program in
which students obtain elementary school teacher certification and a university Bachelor degree in
Pedagogy. Students are highly motivated and put in 50 hours or more per week. In the third
semester of study students fulfill an internship in an elementary school and design, try out, and
evaluate a series of 4 science lessons which meet criteria for inquiry learning. Students use a 7-step
model of inquiry-based teaching and learning from Van Graft and Kemmers (2007) which is similar to
the more familiar 5E (Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate) model of Bybee (1997). Apart
from designing the lessons, the students also develop their own evaluation instrument to investigate
the effectiveness of the lessons and the learning output. The design process is monitored through
student blogs, guidance sessions, and video. Instructors from the University use the student blogs to
provide students with feedback during the process of testing their lessons. Both university and
school-based generalist teacher educators and cooperating teachers are involved in the monitoring
process which is led by a science educator. Students also consult with scientists and other specialists.
This part of the program is evaluated with a survey completed by students and cooperating teachers,
and interviews with scientists, university and school-based generalist teacher educators.
Some lesson series have a community component such as archeology in which various ethnic groups
are interviewed by the children about death rituals. Through this process pre-service students as well
as the generalist teachers and teacher educators have an intense encounter with inquiry-based
science. The intention is that the inquiry orientation will permeate the whole academic programme
of these pre-service teachers. At the time of this abstract the teaching had just been completed. The
lessons were creative and motivating. Children and pre-service students were very enthusiastic.
Lessons met inquiry criteria to various degrees, but pre-service students are well aware of the
shortcomings. More evaluation data will be coming in and will be presented at the conference.
References
Bybee, R. W. (1997) Achieving Scientific Literacy: From purpose to practical action. Portsmouth, NH, Heinemann
Van Graft, M., & Kemmers, P. (2007). Onderzoekend en ontwerpend leren bij Natuur en Techniek. [Inquirybased
learning and learning by design in science and technology]. The Hague, The Netherlands: Platform
Bèta Techniek
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