Attitudes Toward Inquiry‐Based Teaching: Differences Between Preservice and In‐service Teachers

This paper describes differences between preservice and in‐service middle school science teachers in their attitudes toward the learning and teaching of science through inquiry. Seventy‐three preservice and 90 in‐service teachers were surveyed. Separate factor analyses indicated that different factor structures were generated by preservice and in‐service teachers. In the preservice group, the factors included Nature of Science, Image of Scientists, and Characteristics of Science Teachers. Factors from in‐service teachers' responses, on the other hand, included Contemporary View of Science Teaching, Image of Scientists, and Traditional View of Science and Science Teaching. Results of the t‐tests indicated that preservice and in‐service teachers differed in their responses to 6 (out of 25) items. The pattern of those differences is best described as differences in teacher views about contemporary science and science teaching. In‐service teachers held more positive views regarding the process of inquiry and inquiry teaching than did preservice teachers.