Publication 7250

The implications of constructivist epistemology and conceptual-change ideas have received less attention in teacher education than in the case of teaching science to pupils. However, some paradoxes mentioned in the literature apply to teacher education in special ways: 1. Even if we accept the validity of a constructivist epistemology, does that imply a specific teaching strategy? 2. If we say we want learners to construct their knowledge, but we define success according to whether they change their conceptions in a certain direction, are we trying to have it both ways? These questions have two layers of meanings in the context of teacher education: what to “tell” teachers about instruction, and how to “tell” them. Teachers continually construct their views of the nature of learning and teaching science. These views are major determinants of how they carry out their teaching functions. How the informal and formal experiences of teacher education influence thses views in an important issue.

Key words: teacher education, concept formation, educational methods, constructivist teaching, cognitive restructuring, constructivism, inservice teacher education, preservice teacher education, emppowering students