Physics Teacher Education for Early Science Learners

Abstract

Early science teaching and learning extends from preschool through primary school and culminates in lower secondary science education. It is characterized by content that connects to students’ everyday experiences and allows for observations and simple hands-on experiments. The role of physics, or more precisely of topics that can be related to physics in one way or another, is fundamental because experiments on these topics can be adapted to hands-on means, are very often quick and their results are repeatable because the variables are simple to control. Therefore, the physics topics are best suited to introduce and train students in elementary science skills: Observing, comparing, sorting, ordering, measuring, but also to formulate predictions, design test experiments, and draw conclusions from the results of the activities. To train competent preschool and primary school teachers, the program of study must provide knowledge of physics content and the methodology of teaching physics topics to young learners. Because young students’ learning must be based on experience, hands-on experimentation is of paramount importance. Competent teachers, therefore, have good experimental skills that enable them to introduce students to hands-on experimentation. The only way for prospective teachers to acquire experimental skills is through hands-on experimental work during courses and thorough testing and assessment of these skills. In this contribution we present in detail the methodology for testing and assessment of experimental skills that is included in the regular written examinations. During the examinations, students individually perform experiments, the correct execution of which enables the completion of experimental tasks that are an integral part of a written examination.