Pre-service Chemistry Teachers ’ Expectations and Experiences in the School Experience Course

Abstract: The purpose of this study is to investigate prospective chemistry teachers ’ expectations and experiences of teaching practice. Six (four females and two males) pre-service chemistry teachers taking a School Experience II course participated in the study. A case study design was employed. The data were collected from multiple sources including observations, lesson plans, and semi-structured interviews before and after the school experience course. Pre-service teachers ’ expectations and experiences were categorized regarding the faculty, placement school, and teaching practice. It was found that school experience courses are crucial for pre-service teachers in deciding whether to continue in the teaching profession. It is also concluded that the harmony between pre-service teachers’ expectations of and experiences in the school experience course had an influence on their opinions related to the teaching profession