Traditional and Integrated Phenomena-Based Approaches to Physical Science Lectures for Pre-Service Elementary Science Teachers

Physical Science lectures for pre-service K-8 teachers are fragmented across Chemistry and Physics, and fail to support teachers towards more integrated explanations of scientific phenomena. Given the three-dimensional learning called for in the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), Physical Science lectures need to better balance disciplinary and integrated explanations of scientific phenomena. This mixed-methods pilot study compares the effects of a traditional lecture approach and an integrated phenomena-based lecture approach between two cohorts of future K-8 teachers in a Physical Science course. The quantitative findings demonstrate no significant learning difference between approaches, but the qualitative findings suggest better connections to scientific phenomena with an integrated approach. Implications for K-8 science teacher education are discussed.