Teachers’ conceptions of teaching and learning and educational practices in science classrooms

Abstract

This study identifies conceptions held by 80 Mexican primary school teachers regarding teaching and learning and examines the relationship between these conceptions and educational practices in science classes. To study the teachers’ concepts, an individual interview was used. To study the educational practices, classroom observational measures were used. A qualitative analysis of the teachers’ interview responses revealed three concepts of teaching and learning: traditional, transitional between traditional and constructivist, and constructivist. The analysis of the relationships between the concepts of teaching and learning on the one hand and the educational practices on the other displayed incongruities. The majority of the teachers maintained concepts of teaching and learning that are more innovative than what they practiced in class.