Qualitative analyses of preservice elementary teachers' scientific ways of thinking, attitudes, and perceptions during collaborative earth science field-based experiences.

摘要

The research Qualitative Analyses of Preservice Elementary Teachers' Scientific Ways of Thinking, Attitudes, and Perceptions During Collaborative Earth Science Field-based Experiences was conducted to determine if the methodology used during Earth science field-based experiences could be used as a supplement to learning activities. The study analyzed the way that the preservice elementary teachers who participating in a National Science Foundation project (1) used scientific ways of thinking to construct and modify new knowledge during the Earth science field-based activity, (2) changed their attitudes about the importance of Earth science field-based methods and, (3) perceived their future roles as teachers using field-based methodology with elementary school students.;Major findings concluded that: (1) working in collaborative groups of three individuals increased the participants' sense of security and assisted problem-solving during activities, (2) positive attitudes toward this method of learning and good work attitudes during field-based activities were developed, (3) the preservice elementary teachers could visualize their roles as teachers of elementary school students using earth science field-based experiences as a teaching method, and (4) scientific ways of thinking, observing, classifying, measuring, communicating, inferring, predicting, questioning, hypothesizing, processing and interpreting data, and formulating models, did occur as evidenced by the students' outcomes.;A multifaceted method of data collection was utilized during the Earth science field-based experience in the out-of-doors. The methods included: videotape recordings, participant-observer anecdotal records, activity specific journals, student field-based assignment reports, a post-course attitude instrument, and post-course interviews.