The impact of a curriculum course on pre-service primary teachers' science content knowledge and attitudes towards teaching science

Many primary school teachers have insufficient content and pedagogical knowledge of science. This lack of knowledge can often lead to a lack of confidence and competence in teaching science. This article explores the impact of a year-long science methodology (curriculum science) course on second year Bachelor of Education (BEd) students' conceptual and pedagogical knowledge of science and on their attitudes towards teaching science in the primary classroom. A questionnaire, containing closed and open questions, was administered to students at the beginning and end of their science methodology course. The findings revealed that the science course had a positive impact on developing students’ scientific content knowledge. While the students were positive about the prospect of teaching science, insufficient scientific content knowledge was a concern for many of them, as were concerns over various teaching methodologies and classroom management issues in teaching science. The findings of this study are worrying, as it is likely that high percentages of these students will enter the teaching profession with similar inaccurate conceptions of science as the students they will be teaching