"Why Am I Going to Teach Science?" : Pre-Service Science Teachers` Perspectives on Science Education

The study delves into the perspectives of pre-service science teachers in Sweden regarding science education and how these perspectives influence their learning process to teach science. By utilizing visions of scientific literacy and curriculum emphases as an analytical framework, interviews were conducted to gain insights into how pre-service teachers reflect on what is essential to teach in science and how they approach it. Thereby, the present study contributes to the knowledge of science teacher education regarding how pre-service science teachers` perspectives on science education guide their future teaching. The study found that the pre-service teachers described science education primarily in terms of learning scientific facts and concepts. Being able to make use of scientific facts for everyday issues was also part of their goal of teaching. Scientific engagement in relation to society and taking action were absent in their talk about scientific literacy and future teaching plans. The findings are discussed in terms of implications for research and teacher education and underscore that teacher education is central to the students' perspectives. Those perspectives are important to foster scientific literacy of the pupils who are engaged in society.