Issue

Goal Conception

Naive Conception

Alignment of Assessment Tasks and Learning Goals

Assessment tasks must provide the opportunity for learners to use the specific knowledge targeted by the ,earning goal being assessed.

Tasks are viewed as appropriate if they relate to the topic or use terms related to the learning g/al.

Assessment Tasks & Learning Goals

Assessment tasks may involve more than pre & post tests.

Assessment tasks must relate to learning goals.

Many pre-service teachers only consider assessment tasks that use paper & pencil pre & post tests. They often do not consider projects that require synthesis and application of all learning goals as assessment tasks. All assessments must address the learning goals.

Adequacy of Curriculum Materials

Curriculum materials may be deficient in many areas. It is the teachers' job to be able to identify areas of weakness and make adaptations to the instructional approach.

Pre-service elementary science teachers often do not feel comfortable teaching science. Therefore, they rely heavily on teacher guide materials. The idea that the materials may be deficient is an unsettling ide! to them.

Sense of Purpose

The intent of Criterion IA is that a sense of purpose for the unit or activity sequence is establi3hed in the first few activities and is explicitly revisited in later activities. Indicators 1-4 all refer to how the purpose is established in the first 1-2 activities.

Indicators 2-4 tend to be interpreted as referring to problems or representations throughout the unit.

Role of Learning Goals

All material evaluation needs to be completed with a focus on a particular learning goal.

Pre-service teachers often do not consider the learning goal during evaluation, modification, or implementation of materials.

Representations and Phenomena

Experience with phenomena includes observation of and involvement with the data of a problem. A representation illustrates concepts and can be hands-on, but it does not involve students directly with the phenomena being observed.

Many pre-service teachers do not understand the difference between representations and phenomena. They believe that every hands-on activity is an experience with a phenomena without considering if the activity might acutally be a representation of a phenomena.
For example, measuring actual wind speed and direction is an experience with a weather phenomena. However, building a smoke tank to simulate wind is a representation. Likewise, they consider everything in a textbook a representation, rather than c/nsidering that a photograph may be a vicarious experience with ! phenomena (for example, a photo of a volcano erupting).

Addressing Student Ideas

Addressing student ideas is more than identifying student ideas; it also involves a sequence of activities that provide opportunities to challenge naive conceptions and offer plausible and fruitful alternatives.

Many pre-service teachers understand the need to identify student ideas. However, they do not consider that materials need to include a sequence of activities that challenge naive conceptions and offer plausible alternative conceptions.