Exploring changes found in lab reports of pre-service science teachers by adapting a group questioning strategy with using the science writing heuristic template

Pre-service elementary teachers' view on how scientific practice works could be shown in their lab reports especially which were designed to write their testing questions, methods, claims and evidences. For better practice of scientific inquiry for the pre-service teachers, Science Writing Heuristic was used as a teaching method. Only adopting worksheet of SWH and following the steps may lead students to the proper experience of scientific inquiry, which might be hardly expected. The stage of making their own testable questions is essential and critical for the scientific practice as well. This study presumed that a group questioning strategy at this stage would be effective for better scientific inquiry. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate changes of scientific practices after adapting group questioning strategy in terms of scientific reasoning and consistency among elements of scientific practices including questions, methods, claims, and evidences based on pre-service teachers' lab reports on elementary level science activities. During the science teaching methods course for pre-service elementary science teachers, the activity of various subjects in elementary science textbooks were implemented. In this study, two classes were observed and participants' writings were collected; one used science writing form without and the other with group questioning strategy. During participants' practices with the form, participants were asked to write what they were curious about, what they did and was their evidences, and what they claimed through the activity. There were found to be more interactions among participants and more relevant and testable questions asked in a class with group questioning strategies. It was implicated that participant pre-service teachers acted similar with children in terms of scientific practices as well. Further it was discussed whether scientific practice in school science truly include testing students' own questions.

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Science Writing ,

Scientific Practices ,

Group Questioning ,