Preservice teacher training through action research : the case of a preservice science teacher in change

Abstract

In March 2000, a researcher from Al-Qattan Center for Research and Educational Development (QCRED) in Palestine, integrated reflective practice into the process of the third year science specialized preservice teacher training through collaborative action research. Five preservice teachers from the Educational Science Faculty (ESF), which is one of the institutions of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) and an inservice teacher from Beddo cooperative school shared in the study. Many preservice science teachers continue to view teaching as lecturing. They fail to put the constructivist theory in action. In addition, they are unaware of the complexities of the teaching profession, and expect success through following a ‘preordinated’ task. This case study aims at studying the factors that hindered one of the preservice third year science teachers, who participated in the study, from adopting the constructivist theory in teaching science to the sixth grade students. Data obtained during both the two months and the three weeks implementation phase was analyzed qualitatively.