What happens to preservice teachers' understanding of science education when given permission to explore the wonder and beauty of the natural world? Biologist Rachel Carson (1998) states that "a child's world is fresh and beautiful, full of wonder and excitement. It is our misfortune that for most of us that clear-eyed vision… is lost before we reach adulthood” (p. 58). Research indicates that opportunities to reflect upon and delve into the beauty of the world are transformative in helping students appreciate the complexities of nature and encourages wonder and imagination, essential in the process of teaching science. This interpretive research explores how a class project: “Beauty and Aesthetics in Science”, impacts preservice science teachers’ understanding of science education, the nature of science and their own personal connection to science. The students were tasked to research a topic from nature, journal their experience, create an aesthetic representation of their experience, and then share their work with their classmates. From the data collected through student projects and semi-structured interviews, students expressed how being given an open-ended assignment was initially difficult but once they “surrendered to curiosity” their experience and passion for their topic transformed their understanding of science from being static facts to a process of wonder and questioning. This presentation will explore how this project may better equip subsequent generations of teachers to find ways to invite curiosity and wonder into their science classroom.

Authors:
Sharon Pelech, University of Lethbridge, Canada

About the Presenter(s)
Dr. Sharon Pelech is an Associate Professor and Interim Assistant Dean of Field Experiences in Education at the University of Lethbridge, Alberta. Her research interests are science education, place-conscious pedagogy and hermeneutic research.

Connect on Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharon-pelech-b0592032

Additional website of interest
https://uleth.academia.edu/SharonPelech

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