Emergence and Interactions of Knowledge Structures in the Preservice Teacher.

The purpose of this longitudinal investigation was to assess the nature, development, and changes in preservice secondary science teachers' (n=12) conceptions/knowledge structures of subject matter and pedagogy as they proceeded through a fifth-year Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program. Open ended written questionnaires were used in Phase I of this investigation. Five subject matter questionnaires and five pedagogy questionnaires were completed over the span of the entire MAT preparation program. In Phase II, a 45-minute video taped interview was conducted. It appears that preservice science teachers do not have well formed and integrated subject matter or pedagogy knowledge structures. (PR)