Interactive Relationships Among Teachers' Intentions, Beliefs, Pedagogical Content Knowledge and Classroom Instruction on the Nature of Science

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship among teachers’ intentions, beliefs, pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) and their classroom practice, and to delineate factors that cause changes in teachers’ intentions, beliefs and PCK. Four in-service secondary science teachers comprised the sample for this study. Throughout the academic year, data sources including classroom observations, pre- and post-lesson discussions, instructional materials, students’ works and questionnaires that measured teachers’ understanding of NOS were collected. Preliminary result of Tammy, a beginning teacher, indicated that there were interactive relationships among her intention, beliefs, PCK and classroom practice. Having started to teach NOS, Tammy gained better understanding of NOS, reinforced her view that teaching NOS is important and built confi dence in her own ability to teach NOS while developing her PCK. Tammy’s experience of teaching NOS demonstrated a positive feedback effect of classroom practice on cultivating teachers’ intentions and beliefs. The result of another teacher, Kevin, demonstrated the strong infl uence of teachers’ existing beliefs on the translation of teachers’ understanding of NOS into classroom practice, and revealed a need for change in examinations that is coherent with the educational objective of helping students develop an adequate understanding of NOS.