Science teacher education

Abstract

The preparation of highly qualified science teachers is crucial in the context of the problems currently facing science education. These problems include difficulties of students to understand scientific concepts, and to appreciate the usefulness of science altogether, combined, in many countries, with shortages of qualified science teachers. This article addresses aspects of teacher preparation programs that are related to specific issues in science education. In this context, an important issue is how to challenge and extend the initial knowledge and beliefs that prospective science teachers have. Subsequently, the development of pedagogical content knowledge forms a specific focus of scie..