Preservice Teacher Interest and Willingness to Use Stories from the History of Science

This study explored the potential utility of three historical narratives drawn from three different science disciplines regarding 43 preservice teachers' interest levels and willingness to use stories from the history of science in their classrooms. The research questions posed were as follows: (1) Do preservice elementary teachers find historical science narratives interesting? and (2) What are preservice teachers' perspectives on using history of science in their instruction? The exploratory mixed methods design involved collecting data in the form of pre/post surveys, student reflections, and focus groups interviews. Quantitative data, analyzed using descriptive statistics and non-parametric tests, were collected using a pre-existing Interest Inventory developed by Palmer et al. (2017). Qualitative data collected from focus group transcripts, open-ended survey questions, and student reflections were analyzed using emergent coding. Triangulating results across data sources showed that pre-service teachers were interested while reading historical science narratives but rarely improved long-term interest in science. A narrative structure helped to generate interest, with many comparing the story design favorably to science textbooks and articles. Reader experience and relatability also impacted reader interest while reading historical narratives. When considering the utility of historical narratives, participants reported a willingness to implement them to promote student interest, along with other benefits like cross-curricular learning. Results imply that preservice teachers believe historical science narratives can promote student interest, and they are willing to incorporate them into science instruction. Therefore, the use of historical science narratives may be a solution to low science interest in teachers and students.