Work

Primary School Teachers' Understanding of Essential Science Concepts

Year: 2017

Type: article

Abstract: : Teacher's understanding of science is a prerequisite for teaching science. Due to the lack of science background during their studies, some primary school teachers have limited understanding of science. This study aims at identifying primary school teacher's understanding of essential science concepts. Data were collected from 293 participants of workshops of professional certification program at university. Teacher's understanding was measured using a multiple choice test whose answers are in the form of degree of certainty. The study finds that many teachers do not have good understanding of science. Misconceptions are also identified in a number of areas. Student textbooks, myths spread over in the communities, and narrow interpretation of religious teaching are some sources of teacher's misconceptions. These findings suggest that future professional development program for primary school teachers should be designed in the areas of subject matters and subject matter pedagogy. Keywords: elementary school teachers, misconception, science, understanding

Source: Jurnal Cakrawala Pendidikan

DOI: 10.21831/cp.v36i3.11921

Authors: Ari Widodo, Diana Rochintaniawati, Riandi Riandi

Institution: Indonesia University of Education

Language: English

Topic: Science Education and Pedagogy

Subfield: Education

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Quality education

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $65