Prospective Primary Teachers' Prior Experiences, Conceptions, and Pedagogical Valuations of Experimental Activities in Science Education

A diagnostic study is presented of the prior experiences, conceptions, and pedagogical valuations of prospective primary teachers (PPTs) about experimental activities (ExA's) in science education. The participants were 121 PPTs who, in small teams, responded to various questions related to ExA. Their responses were analysed interpretively with inter- and intra-rater analysis methods. Low-inference descriptors were used to guarantee objectivity. The results showed the PPTs to hold conceptions and pedagogical valuations that were in general quite clearly aligned with the traditional approaches to ExA (absence of an inquiry-based approach, prevalence of conceptual learning, systematic implementation of a cookbook-based approach, etc.). The implications deriving from the results are discussed, with the ultimate aim being to contribute to the development of a well-founded teacher education plan including the routine integration of ExA into primary science education.