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The purpose of the study was to explore pre-service science teachers’ epistemological
beliefs and views of nature of science. A convergence-parallel mixed-methods design
was used. Participants consisted of 40 pre-service science teachers (16 females and 24
males) from four Colleges of Education in the Northern, Upper East and Upper West
Regions of Ghana. Twenty each from level 200 and level 300 classes. Purposive
sampling was used to sample four Science and Mathematics Colleges of Education.
Simple random sampling was used to select 10 pre-service science teachers from each
college. The instruments used for data collection were the Views of nature of science
form C (VNOS-C), Epistemological Beliefs Questionnaire (EBQ), Epistemological
Beliefs Inventory (EBI), Views of Nature of Science Inventory (VNOSI) and Semistructured
interview guide. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics,
and independent samples t-tests. Thematic content analysis was used to analyse the
qualitative data. Majority (72.5%) of the pre-service science teachers held naïve
epistemological beliefs. The pre-service science teachers held naïve beliefs in the
dimensions of quick learning, omniscient authority, simple knowledge, and innate
ability. However, 25% held transitional beliefs in the dimension of certain knowledge.
Most (62.5%) of the pre-service science teachers held a transitional view of the nature
of science. However, they held informed views on the subjective nature of science and
the socio-cultural nature of science. Also, they held transitional views on the tentative
nature of science, differences between theory and law and differences between
observation and inferences. However, the pre-service science teachers held naïve views
on the empirical nature of science and the creative/imaginative nature of science.
Pearson correlation indicated a negatively weak and no significant correlation between
epistemological beliefs and views of the nature of science. Also, there was no
statistically significant difference in epistemological beliefs between level 200 and
level 300 pre-service teachers. There was no statistically significant difference in
epistemological beliefs between male and female pre-service science teachers. The preservice
science teachers would likely communicate the facts or end products of science
in their teaching while neglecting how scientific knowledge was constructed. Preservice
science teachers’ classroom practice would improve if they develop informed
epistemological belifs and views of nature of science. The study recommended that
explicit attention should be given to nature of science and epistemological beliefs, and
relevant teaching strategies such as the uses of historical case studies, socio-scientific
discussions, inquiry activities, teaching process skills should be used to ensure that
nature of science instruction is extensively integrated into colleges of education science
programs. |
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