An investigation of the science content preparation of Iowa State University elementary education majors: relationships among secondary and college course backgrounds, attitude toward teaching science, science teaching efficacy, science misconceptions, and science achievement

The goal of this study was to explore the role that formal science content education plays in the process of educating future elementary teachers of science. The formal science content preparation of elementary education majors was investigated to explore the relationships between secondary school and college science content preparation and science achievement, attitude toward teaching science, science teaching efficacy, selected science misconceptions, and other demographic variables. Some of the instruments utilized included Enoch\u27s and Rigg\u27s Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument Form B, Thompson\u27s and Shrigley\u27s Revised Science Attitude Scale, the ACT Science Reasoning Test, student constructed concept maps, and a demographics questionnaire;Although a number of statistically significant relationships were found to exist among the variables, the significant correlations were mainly in what might be classified as low to moderate ranges of correlation;The results of this research can be drawn upon to make recommendations and set strategies for policy makers to consider when determining how to best prepare elementary education majors to teach science