Preservice Teachers' Scientific Information Search: Implications for Instruction

• In Event: Poster Session 9
  In Poster Session: Understanding Intruction, Motivation, and Learning in Literacy

Abstract

Pre-service teachers were asked to conduct a research task using multiple sources of information to learn about a scientific topic, keystone species. After conducting the research task, pre-service teachers were asked open-ended questions about how they search for information when lesson planning and how they would teach their students to search for information. Common themes in teacher search were identified, including a desire to locate multimedia information (e.g., images, videos) and a focus on identifying factual information (e.g., vocabulary terms and definitions). Strategies that teachers recommended for students included searching for important and relevant information and using heuristics to establish information quality (e.g., finding at least two sources). Implications for training pre-service teachers in information literacy instruction will be discussed.

Author

• Alexandra List, The Pennsylvania State University