Hernández-Barco, Míriam; Rici-Vázquez, Helena; Cañada-Cañada, Florentina
Department of science and mathematics education, University of Extremadura
Abstract
The current study shows a research that has been made in three consecutive courses with primary pre-service teachers in the context of science subjects. The participants were 242 teachers in training (63% female). This is a longitudinal quantitative research carried out by survey in the courses 2018/2019 to 2020/2021. The principal aim was to study the main emotional factor what affect in the learning process when prospective teachers learn sciences. Emotions (positives and negatives), self-efficacy, gender or background studies were the variables explored. To check whether the variables that can predict the final grade in the science content exam, linear regression was applied. The affective domain and the cognitive part have been considered to be independent. However, nowadays, the association between these two dimensions in human beings is undeniable. Emotional experiences in the classroom will be determinant to fix or to remove the subject content, emotions impact student’s learning and achievement. But not only. Self-efficacy influences how we feel, think and act, it is defined as the belief in one’s abilities to execute the actions necessary to reach certain achievements, so it is inexorable linking to the emotional dimension of pre-service teachers. Those teachers with a greater sense of self-efficacy are less averse to taking risks in methods since they feel more comfortable in teaching content. The literature review suggest that prospective teachers have a low self-efficacy for teaching sciences, and that is preceded by high levels of negative emotions. Knowledge of the matter is necessary to be able to teach something: prospective teachers need to understand the content and know how to teach it.
A questionnaire by own elaboration has been made for cognitive dimension, emotions and self-efficacy data collection. The results evince correlations between feeling some positive emotions (as enthusiasm and joy) toward science contents with having a high self-efficacy perception of teaching sciences. However, emotions are not a good predictor variable. A multiple regression equation was modeled to examine the predictive value of the knowledge. The fundamental explanatory variable of prospective teachers’ scientific knowledge: the self-efficacy.
The results of this research could have some implications in the initial training of pre-service
primary teachers: reinforcing the necessity of improving the prospective teachers’ self-efficacy during their training for being a variable that have a big effect in their scientific knowledge. In the initial training of teachers, this can be approached through the different science subjects in their degree course, and taking advantage of neurodidactics to provide a solution. It also constitutes a new contribution to the field of the didactics of experimental sciences, suggesting new lines of research that will promote the growth of this area, our study contributes to improve the quality of science lessons, supporting that teaching and learning process should be oriented not only to enhance cognitive functions but also other emotional skills and potentials.
Keywords: primary pre-service teacher; science education, emotions; self-efficacy
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