REDESIGN OF PRESERVICE SCIENCE COURSES TO INCORPORATE INQUIRY AND CASE-BASED STUDIES

In order to facilitate an interdisciplinary understanding of the natural sciences, a National Science Foundation grant was obtained to redesign three laboratory courses required for early childhood through eighth grade preservice teachers in Texas. The courses, Life/Earth Science, Physical Science, and Concepts of Science, were developed over the past two years to satisfy newly mandated state curriculum. Through the incorporation of inquiry and case-based instruction in these classes, it is hoped that teachers will have an improved understanding of science that will enhance attitude and efficacy. Courses will be further aligned with the National Science and Education Standards, which supports the use of inquiry in developing scientific thinking skills. Four cases are currently being designed for the freshmen level Life/Earth Science and Physical Science courses. The cases will incorporate a unifying concept of energy change. In the earth science portion of the class, students will be presented with a case that leads them to investigate the age of the universe. As the course progresses, it will become apparent that scientific estimates of the age of the universe are based on very different lines of evidence, including the Doppler effect, radiometric dating, and DNA. Various means of evaluation will be employed to determine if this change to inquiry and case-based teaching strategies positively impacts student teachers' understanding and perception of science.