Relationships between beliefs in Science teaching, Science learning and knowledge of science

Abstract

This work describes an educational experiment carried out with future secondary teachers in an attempt to control the diversity of influential variables in teachers’ training by focusing only on three, two as independent variables and one as dependent. The latter refers to the beliefs and spontaneous views that the future teacher has regarding Science education (VdE) and both independent variables relate respectively to their views and beliefs on the construction of scientific knowledge (VdC) and the learners (VdA). Conclusions are obtained for a) data validity and reliability; b) the epistemological consistency of future teachers; c) the studentsʼ progress after the experience, and d) the degree of variation of VdE, which is explained with the variables VdA y VdC. The paper concludes that it is not possible to maintain as true the hypothesis that «a change in the epistemology of science and knowledge of the student (VdC and VdA) implies a change in the vision of Science education (VdE)».