Teaching and learning about plants in teacher education – what, how and why? A case study on the development of plant awareness

This case study describes how plants are addressed in a teacher education course in Sweden and reports on pre-service teachers’ (n = 9) learning about plants. Data were collected through pre- and post-tests, focus group interviews and a final test. Theoretical frameworks of plant awareness were applied to analyse and discuss how the course content and instructions may have affected the pre-service teachers’ plant awareness and their reflections on how to teach about plants in primary school. The findings indicate that first-hand experiences – both indoors and outdoors – in combination with discussions about sustainability, increased pre-service teachers’ knowledge about plant physiology, ecology, reproduction, diversity and importance (e.g. ecosystem services). The course also increased their curiosity about plants. Highlighting prior knowledge and learning through pre- and post-tests appeared to motivate the pre-service teachers’ learning and affect their reflections on how to increase plant awareness in primary school (6- to 9-year-olds). In conclusion, connecting different biology disciplines and sustainability in a biology course with indoor and outdoor activities while utilising pre-service teachers’ prior knowledge and learning appears to stimulate pre-service teachers’ plant awareness and ideas on how to teach about plants in primary school.