Is It Realistic to Expect a Preservice Teacher to Create an Inquiry-based Classroom?

Prospective teachers who have not personally experienced reform-based science education are likely to lack buy-in and confidence in the new approach.

“Prospective teachers who have not personally experienced reform-based science education are likely to lack buy-in and confidence in the new approach.The”

Many new teachers might be unmotivated or even afraid to engage students in collaborative, open-ended inquiry.

“As a result, many new teachers might be unmotivated or even afraid to engage students in collaborative, open-ended inquiry (e.g., Crawford, 1999).”

Most prospective teachers have never experienced scientific investigations as learners as part of their own schooling.

“In the case of preparing reform-mined teachers, we need to take into consideration that most prospective teachers have never experienced scientific investigations as learners as part of their own schooling (Crawford, 1999;Helms, 1998;Volkmann & Anderson, 1998) and furthermore they are likely to have been successful science learners in traditional classrooms informed by a transmission pedagogy.”