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Learning by Teaching: a Case Study of Co-teaching to Enhance Nature of Science Pedagogy, Successes, and Challenges

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Abstract

This study aimed to give insights of in-service teachers’ experiences of nature of science (NOS) learning and NOS teaching through a co-teaching professional learning context. For this purpose, the co-teachers were encouraged to share and discuss ideas and to improve NOS teaching through reflection and collaborative interaction in the context of a Saturday science teaching program. The program provided students in Grades K–2 with hands-on activities covering various science topics over 5 weekly 2.5-h sessions. One co-teacher was an experienced university teacher; the other was an experienced primary teacher without NOS teaching experience. Data were collected by use of pre- and post-instruction of the Views of Nature of Science questionnaire, follow-up interviews, written artifacts, and videotaped teaching sessions. Results showed that co-teaching contributed to the teacher’s NOS learning as well as NOS teaching. The teacher recognized subjective, creative, empirical, and sociocultural NOS; she started to use NOS vocabulary more comfortably and developed teaching strategies and examples for sociocultural NOS.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Primary Education, Kirikkale University, Kırıkkale, Turkey

    Kader Bilican

  2. Curriculum and Instruction, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA

    Valarie Akerson

  3. Elementary/Secondary Education, New Jersey City University, Jersey City, NJ, USA

    Vanashri Nargund

Authors
  1. Kader Bilican
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  2. Valarie Akerson
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  3. Vanashri Nargund
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Correspondence to Kader Bilican.

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Bilican, K., Akerson, V. & Nargund, V. Learning by Teaching: a Case Study of Co-teaching to Enhance Nature of Science Pedagogy, Successes, and Challenges. Int J of Sci and Math Educ 19, 957–976 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10763-020-10094-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10763-020-10094-6

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