Subject knowledge for science teaching at primary level: A comparison of pre-service teachers in England and Singapore

Abstract

There is a growing body of evidence that a sound scientific knowledge base is important for teachers of primary science. International studies can indicate features ,which are common around the world and those which may be distinctive because of differences in curricula, teachers' education or socio-cultural factors. This paper reports on a comparative study of aspects of the science knowledge of primary student teachers carried out in Singapore and England. Student teachers' subject understanding was tested for three areas of science. Their teaching ability was assessed in terms of ideas on lesson planning, responding to pupils' questions and the use of analogies to explain concepts. Similar levels of knowledge and ability were found in both groups. Although a science qualification helped with some test items, in general, in neither group was any clear connection found between science knowledge and the ability to teach that knowledge.