The influence of science teachers' beliefs and practices on students' learning spaces and processes: Insights from Singapore

Abstract

Implicit within the reform efforts in Science Education is the necessity for teachers to shift from transmissionist approaches to constructivist teaching approaches; the former emphasizes unproblematic transfer of a fixed set of ideas from credible sources to students while the latter puts primacy on students' role in knowledge construction. Teachers' beliefs may influence the implementation of reform initiatives; conversely, enactment of reform efforts may affect teachers' beliefs. Teachers' beliefs about teaching and learning, and their perceptions of their students, have been the subject of a limited and yet expanding body of research that intends to enhance the likelihood of enacting curriculum reforms that can promote students' meaningful learning. The focus of this article is to understand how teachers' beliefs influence classroom decisions that determine students' learning spaces and processes within the context of implementing school reforms.