Models and Modelling in Pre-service Teacher Education: Why We Need Both

Abstract

In this study, we analyse the modelling practices of pre-service primary school teachers (PTs) when they participate in small group, laboratory-based discussions to model scientific phenomena. The context is a science education course with a twofold aim: (1) to improve participants’ modelling abilities in terms of expression, use, evaluation and revision of models and (2) to promote the construction of adequate versions of key conceptual models, such as the particle model of matter. In order to characterise the modelling patterns and the evolution of PTs’ versions of their models, we select and analyse critical video episodes of PTs’ discussions when they participate in a teaching and learning scenario based on a modelling cycle. The results show that participation in modelling practices is a good instructional context for PTs’ construction of scientific models, although neither modelling nor construction of models occurs in a straightforward manner. The results also signal an interesting relationship between modelling and models, as rich modelling practices do not necessarily mean adequate progression in PTs’ versions of the model towards the targeted one. Our results also point to possible interesting characteristics of the teaching scenario (in particular, of teacher interventions) that could promote both adequate construction of targeted models and rich participation in modelling practices.