Preservice Elementary Teachers' Obedience and Conformity to Errors in Science Curriculum

• In Event: Roundtable Session 9
  In Roundtable Session: Teacher Preparation, Science, and Curriculum-Classroom Intersections

Abstract

This exploratory pilot study included four female preservice teachers who each taught a review session of a 15 question physical science quiz to their peers (confederates in the study). The test key included three intentional recognizable content errors. Follow-up interviews addressed whether the teacher recognized the errors, whether she experienced cognitive conflict when teaching the trick questions, and whether and why she either chose to conform to the curriculum or fix the error. Engaging in informational and normative conformity, the teachers initially taught the incorrect answers in all 12 cases. Each teacher improved her posttest score. We conclude that curriculum was a powerful authority figure for these teachers in ways that were both educative and detrimental to their conceptual understanding.

Authors

• Brian Edward Kinghorn, Marshall University

• Jared T Peterson, Brigham Young University - Hawaii