The need for change in elementary school teacher training—a cross-college age study of future teachers’ conceptions of basic astronomy concepts

Abstract Do students in pre-service training programs for elementary school teachers hold the correct scientific views, which will eventually allow them to plan and implement instructional strategies, which, in turn, will lead their future pupils to achieve scientific conceptions of basic astronomy concepts? The results of a cross-college age study of this issue are presented and discussed in this paper. The students’ astronomy conceptions were analyzed by means of a written questionnaire presented to them during the first part of the year. The most important findings of this study will be of interest to many elementary-school teacher educators.

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