The Influence of Real-Context Scientific Activities on Preservice Elementary Teachers’ Thinking and Practice of Nature of Science and Scientific Inquiry

Understanding how and why science works is a major goal of science education. The aim of this article is to analyze the influence of a research experience in real science contexts, in the thinking and practice of preservice elementary teachers regarding inquiry and nature of science teaching. An in-depth case study which highlights the affordances and shortcomings of the participants’ immersion in real science contexts and in seminars and its impact on participants’ thoughts and practices of nature of science and inquiry will be presented. Interviews, observations, diaries, and videotaped seminars were used for data collection. Our findings suggest that the research experience, as well as moments of reflection, contributed to enhance the relevance of an inquiry-based teaching and teaching about NOS in the participants’ discourse. However, the implementation of these classroom practices was limited and seemingly prevented due to various constraints, namely the initial teacher training, participants’ lack of teaching experience, and those associated with elementary students and the curriculum.