Bridging the gap: An analysis of the needs of second‐year science teachers

Abstract

This article reports on the themes and issues which impact on the pedagogical development of 14 beginning science teachers at the end of their second year of full‐time teaching. The research data was derived from semistructured interviews with the teachers and endeavors to portray the teachers' perspective of their development. This article demonstrates some of the difficulties associated with learning to teach science when teachers come from a preservice education program that encourages them to consider their understanding of learning and how it relates to their approach to teaching. The teachers in this study recognize how the factors of time, confidence and support each individually influence their teaching. However, when these three factors are considered together and are juxtaposed with the experiences and ideals of their preservice education program, the factors combined become a dilemma as they attempt to bridge the gap between what they hope to do as science teachers and what they can do in the real world of schools. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.