Changing of Pre-service Teachers’ Belief about the Importance of Teaching Science: Transformative Learning Theory

Abstract

This study aimed to collect opinions on the science learning situation, to design learning activities, and to study the effects of learning activities on changes in beliefs about the importance of science teaching among science student teachers. It was a research and development study divided into three stages: Stage 1: Survey to collect basic data from science teachers on the concept of learning management, beliefs about the goals of science learning. Stage 2: Organizing teaching and learning activities, designing learning activities from real situations based on the concept of learning theory to change. Stage 3: Studying the results of adjusting beliefs about the importance of science teaching.

The results of the study found that 1) Experiences with scientific knowledge and ignorance that affect life and safety, found that the current state of science learning management is mostly focused on competitive exams rather than applying it in daily life. Science learning should start with students realizing the importance of scientific and technological knowledge. 2) Design learning activities, consisting of 6 learning units: creating inspiration, organizing experiences, helping and sharing, knowing goals and support, promoting and creating opportunities, reflecting and making decisions. 3) Results of using the process, found that the beliefs about science teaching of science student teachers overall, before training, were at a high level. After training, they were at the highest level. The evaluation of the learning process design found that the learning process after training had higher scores than before training in all items. Observing the concept of organizing activities, found that science teachers have used the knowledge gained from the training to define their roles as science teachers and to use it in teaching and learning activities. The evaluation of the satisfaction of the science teaching training course for science student teachers based on the concept of learning theory to change was at a high level.