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http://dx.doi.org/10.14697/jkase.2014.34.5.0449

Pre-service Science Teachers' Understanding of Students' Misconceptions in Physics and Perceptions on "Teacher as a Researcher" through the Research Experience  

Ko, Yeonjoo (Ewha Womans University)
Lee, Hyunju (Ewha Womans University)
Publication Information
Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education / v.34, no.5, 2014 , pp. 449-457 More about this Journal
Abstract
Recent studies have shown that teachers should have be aware of and understand students' misconceptions, which is one of the major components of PCK. However, teachers often have difficulties in understanding misconceptions and in applying appropriate instructional strategies to change misconceptions. Thus, we designed a method course for pre-service teachers (PSTs) adapting the concept of "teacher as researcher". In the course, PSTs conducted research to investigate students' misconceptions in physics. Twenty-five female PSTs participated in the study. They went through the research process including creating question items, administering items to their target populations, collecting and analyzing student responses, and writing a research paper. Data source included individual interviews with the PSTs, field notes during classroom observation and PSTs' research papers. The results were as follows. First, the PSTs confirmed students' misconceptions and learning difficulties in physics. They experienced discrepancies between their conjecture and research findings. Second, PSTs developed the sophisticated understanding of students' misconceptions and appropriate teaching strategies. Third, the research experience provided the PSTs opportunities to reexamine their physics content knowledge while creating items and explaining scientific concepts. They realized that physics teachers should develop sound understanding of physics concepts for guiding students to have less misconception. Lastly, they realized the necessity of being a teacher as a researcher.
Keywords
pre-service science teachers; physics misconceptions; research experience; teacher as researcher;
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