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Integrating Science Concepts Through Poetry: A Study Comparing Online and Face-to-Face Teaching Methods Courses for Pre-Service Elementary Educators

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Abstract

The literature has documented a lack of daily instructional time dedicated to teaching science in comparison to mathematics and literacy in elementary education. Utilizing poetry has shown promise in increasing teachers’ integration of science concepts, teaching literacy skills, improving student engagement, and fostering creativity. This study examined changes in the science teaching beliefs of two cohorts (n = 46) of elementary pre-service teachers (PSTs) co-enrolled in a literacy methods course and an elementary science methods course. The instructors collaboratively taught a hands-on integrated science and poetry unit, and mentored PSTs in creating their own poems and a corresponding 5E lesson plan. One cohort participated synchronously online due to COVID-19, while the other cohort participated the following year in person. The study revealed significant increases in PSTs’ self-efficacy to teach science after the methods courses. When comparing the two cohorts, PSTs from the online group reported significantly greater gains in their self-efficacy to teach science. There were no significant differences between groups regarding their outcome expectancy for teaching science and their perceived understanding of and preparation for teaching science content. This research has implications for teacher preparation programs, professional development efforts, and the integration of more science teaching within elementary classrooms.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of the Built Environment, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Princess Anne, MD, USA

    Tyler S. Love

  2. Department of Teacher Education, Penn State Harrisburg, Middletown, PA, USA

    Doris Lee & Mary Napoli

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  1. Tyler S. Love
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  2. Doris Lee
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  3. Mary Napoli
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Contributions

All authors conceptualized the study. TSL and MN collected the data. All authors analyzed the data, wrote the first draft of the manuscript, contributed to subsequent drafts of the manuscript, and approved the final version for publication.

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Correspondence to Tyler S. Love.

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Research on human subjects has been approved by the Office for Research Protections at The Pennsylvania State University. All participants provided informed consent for participation in this study. No sufficiently identifiable information about participants was included in this manuscript.

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Informed consent of all participants was obtained in compliance with criteria from the Office for Research Protections at The Pennsylvania State University.

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Love, T.S., Lee, D. & Napoli, M. Integrating Science Concepts Through Poetry: A Study Comparing Online and Face-to-Face Teaching Methods Courses for Pre-Service Elementary Educators. J Sci Educ Technol 33, 57–67 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10956-023-10073-w

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