Primary pre-service teachers´ view on models and their uses in science and science education

Abstract

This study examines the view of 201 preservice primary teachers about scientific models and their functions in science and in science education. A questionnaire was designed and implemented from which the answers to the following questions are analysed: What do you understand as a scientific model? Which are the functions of models in science and science education? Results showed that, although 24.5% recognised scientific models as a simplified representation of a phenomenon, 22.8% considered it as a way or “method” in which scientists work. Regarding model’s functions, 45.7% identified models as teachers’ tools to explain and summarise information to their students or tools to help them to teach.