Active learning in pre-service science teacher education

TL;DR

This paper discusses a physics lab course for pre-service teachers in Italy, demonstrating active learning methods and comparing effectiveness across different teacher groups and previous training experiences.

Contribution

It introduces a practical active learning course for pre-service science teachers and compares its effectiveness across diverse teacher backgrounds and prior training.

Findings

Active learning enhances teacher preparedness in physics labs.

Differences observed between teacher groups based on background.

Course effectiveness compared to previous training experiences.

Abstract

We report a course on teaching in physics lab for teachers enrolled in Formative Active Training, which actually allows to obtain the teacher qualification in Italy. The course was designed with the purpose of showing in practice what means active learning in physics and how effective activities can be realized in practice. Two different type of teachers attended to the course, a small group, with physics or mathematics degree, for teacher qualification in secondary school of second grade (age 14-19) and a more numerous group for qualification in secondary school of first grade (age 11-14), usually with a different science degree such as biology, environmental sciences and so on. We compare this training in physics lab between the two groups and with other experiences we performed in previous years in pre-service education and updating courses for teachers in-service.