Preservice Secondary Science Teachers’ Nature of Science Views, Rationales, and Teaching During a NOS Course Guided by RFN: a Multiple Case Study

This multiple-case study investigated the changes in three secondary science preservice teachers’ views of the nature of science (NOS), rationales for teaching NOS, and their NOS teaching at the end of a NOS course guided by the reconceptualized family resemblance approach (RFN). RFN is chosen as a conceptual framework that visualizes science as a cognitive-epistemic and socio-institutional system to guide this study. Data sources included individual interviews as well as each preservice teachers’ lesson plan and teaching video from the lesson they enacted within the course at the end of the semester. Findings showed that there was an overall improvement in preservice teachers’ views of NOS across all RFN categories, but one preservice teacher continued to hold misconceptions about scientific theories and laws after the course. Two preservice teachers developed multifaceted rationales for teaching NOS that transcend the classroom, while one preservice teacher continued to express mainly affective reasons for teaching NOS. Despite all preservice teachers having accurate views, professing multiple rationales for teaching NOS, and in two cases expressing knowledge of effective NOS teaching at the end of the course, only one of the three preservice teachers enacted explicit and reflective NOS instruction in their lesson. This preservice teacher chose to focus on the social-institutional NOS based on the RFN. This study suggests the need to provide extended NOS exposure and teaching experiences for preservice teachers in teacher preparation programs. Recommendations and implications for further research and science teacher education are discussed.