Pre-service Primary Teachers’ Views about Scientific Inquiry

Abstract

While scientific inquiry is a critical goal in science education reform, worldwide research indicates that students and educators misunderstand it. The present study investigates the scientific inquiry views of 170 senior-year pre-service primary school teachers using the VASI (Views About Scientific Inquiry) questionnaire. This standardized tool assesses learners’ understanding of scientific inquiry. The analysis of student responses demonstrates that the sampled pre-service primary education teachers hold naïve views on several aspects of scientific inquiry. Findings show that participants seem to have difficulty understanding that scientific inquiry begins with a question and are unclear on whether a single procedure generates the same results or if scientific data is equivalent to scientific evidence. The inability of pre-service teachers to understand scientific inquiry confirms a lack of general consideration of its process, raising doubt over the opportunities for learners to adopt and engage in scientific inquiry. Consequently, the implications of curriculum reform are discussed.