Chapter 8: Early Science Teaching Experiences for Undergraduates in an On-Campus, Hands-On Laboratory

Research has shown that undergraduates planning to teach elementary grades do not feel confident about the prospect of teaching science. Reasons given included: insufficient content knowledge, lack of enjoyment of science classes in school, lack of positive experiences in science during their schooling, and an expressed fear of science. This study focused on the effect of an early science teaching experience for undergraduates in an on-campus hands-on laboratory where undergraduates had the opportunity to interact with elementary school children in a controlled, supervised classroom setting at California State University–Chico. Practicing using real materials with small groups of children for short periods of time and having the opportunity to reflect on the teaching experience and to repeat it after further discussion and revision has proven to be an effective way of increasing positive attitudes toward teaching science and increasing content knowledge in science for the participating undergraduates. Pre-post attitude surveys indicated that undergraduates experienced increases in their perception of being prepared to teach science, knowing what to do to help their students like science, and feeling confident that they have the skills to help their students learn science. All undergraduates in the early science teaching experience also showed gains in science content knowledge. In addition, the Hands-on Laboratory classroom setting provided opportunities for inservice teachers to participate in professional development opportunities as an extension of bringing their classroom students to campus.