PRE-SERVICE SCIENCE TEACHERS’ KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS BACKLOG PERPETUATED BY EMERGENCY REMOTE TEACHING Cover Image

PRE-SERVICE SCIENCE TEACHERS’ KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS BACKLOG PERPETUATED BY EMERGENCY REMOTE TEACHING
PRE-SERVICE SCIENCE TEACHERS’ KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS BACKLOG PERPETUATED BY EMERGENCY REMOTE TEACHING

Author(s): Hlologelo Climant Khoza
Subject(s): Social Sciences, Education
Published by: Scientia Socialis, UAB
Keywords: case study; COVID-19; knowledge and skills backlog; pre-service science teachers; teacher education;

Summary/Abstract: The adoption of Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT) during the COVID-19 Pandemic brought a shift in how lecturers teach in higher education, posing a threat to the usual development of competencies in students. This study aimed to uncover the knowledge and skills backlogs experienced by pre-service teachers. The study is framed within various concepts that characterize an ideal science teacher. Using a qualitative case-study design, data were collected through interviews with nine pre-service teachers who were subjected to the ERT. Transcripts of the interviews were analyzed thematically using the established framework as a lens. The findings indicate that while the science pre-service teachers acquired some technological knowledge, there was a concurrent loss of sufficient content knowledge, a crucial prerequisite for the development of Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK). Additionally, the pre-service science teachers highlighted a lack of knowledge in practical work and the specific pedagogies essential for teaching science. The implications of these findings are discussed in the context of moving forward.

  • Issue Year: 23/2024
  • Issue No: 3
  • Page Range: 464-475
  • Page Count: 12
  • Language: English
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