Characteristics of elementary teachers' instructional strategies in developing models to explain rock changes due to weathering and erosion

Objectives The purpose of this study is to analyze the characteristics of elementary school teachers' instructional strategies in developing a model to explain the changes in rocks due to weathering and erosion. Methods For this purpose, 11 elementary school teachers with experience in teaching science were recruited. The data collected are lesson plans and interviews with primary school teachers. The researcher categorized the teaching strategies used by the teachers based on the activities and utterances in the lesson plans. The purpose, content, and tools of the teaching strategies were then coded by comparing them to the interview transcripts. The coded data were analyzed qualitatively through an inductive categorization process. Results Based on the time of model development, the pre-model development course utilized the following teaching strategies: “Remind students of scientific concepts necessary for model development,” “Observe the phenomenon presented,” “Conduct model experiments before developing a model,” and “Present conditions to consider when developing a model.” The mid-model development course utilized the following strategies: “Suggest preparations and representations for model development,” and “Draw a model design”. Conclusions First, elementary teachers utilized a strategy of providing a variety of resources for students to develop models. Second, we found that elementary teachers' awareness of models and model development was low. Third, they identified strategies for checking for problems that students might encounter while developing their own models.