Journal of Educational Practice and Research (Jun 2017)
Transforming a University "Entomology" Course into an Elementary Pre-service Teachers Training Course
Abstract
As elementary school pre-service teachers are required to learn the pedagogical content knowledge of natural field, "Entomology" course offered at the teacher training department was transformed into elementary pre-service teachers’ training course to early cultivate science teachers. This study adopted a mixed method research design. Forty-three pre-service teachers participated in the study and took the "Entomology" teacher training course. The course covers insect concepts, concept map drawing, insect feeding skills, outdoors teaching skills for insect survey, assessment for insect science fairs and designing science lesson plans. Both quantitative data and qualitative data were collected and analyzed to investigate the development of pre-service teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge. The results were as follows: 1) ICTS pre- and post-testing t test results show that pre-service teachers gained more insect cognitive concepts from the Entomology course. 2) In the pre-service teachers’ drawings of conceptual diagrams, the class framework was partially correct, but the conjunctions were accurately presented. 3) Pre-service teachers demonstrated skills of rearing insects, outdoors teaching skills for insect, assessing insect science fairs, and designing science lesson plans. 4) The transformation of the Entomology course into a teacher training course was feasible; however, entomology experimental activities may be added into the curriculum when pre-service teachers assessed insect science fairs.
