The Relationship between
Teachers’ Knowledge and Beliefs
about Science and Inquiry and
Their Classroom Practices
More details
Hide details
1
American University of Beirut, LEBANON
Publication date: 2012-01-12
EURASIA J. Math., Sci Tech. Ed 2012;8(2):113-128
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to investigate relationships between teachers' attitudes
toward science, knowledge and beliefs about inquiry, and science classroom teaching
practices. Specifically, the study addressed three questions: What are teachers’ beliefs and
knowledge about inquiry? What are teachers’ teaching related classroom practices? Do
teachers’ knowledge and beliefs about inquiry relate to their science classroom practices?
The sample consisted of 34 teachers drawn randomly from schools in the city of Lebanon.
To answer the first question, teachers responded to two questionnaires: Views of Science
Inquiry which gauged teachers’ views about science and how science is conducted and
Attitudes and Beliefs about the Nature of and the Teaching of Science which measured teacher's
attitudes and beliefs about the nature of and the teaching of science. To answer the second
question, classroom observations documented actual teaching practices. Results from the
questionnaires and the observation were used to construct individual teacher’s profiles
which were used to identify relationships between teachers’ beliefs, knowledge, and
teaching practices. Results showed that most teachers had restricted views of nature of
science and unfavorable beliefs and attitudes about inquiry. Moreover, no consistent
relationships between teachers’ beliefs, views of nature of science, and classroom practices
were found.