Exploring Pre- Service Teachers’ Alternative Frameworks in Science

In this research paper pre-service teachers’ alternative frameworks in different concepts of science have been explored. Twenty pre-service teachers were asked to predict the findings of some simple activities given in the form of questionnaire based on the concepts of heat, Archimedes principle, acceleration due to gravity and mass . Besides predicting the findings they had to explain the reason and give correct scientific explanation to support their findings. In this qualitative study, the findings showed that pre service teachers were not able to predict the correct findings of the science activities conducted and the explanations revealed they had substantial alternate frameworks related to the concepts.Their scientific concepts were revisited through conceptual discussions, cognitive conflict, experiments and inquiry based activities. The implications of the findings for teacher education programs have been discussed.

Alternative Frameworks, Pre- service teachers, Heat, Archimedes Principle

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