Biologiundervisning från lågstadiet till gymnasiet - Lärarstudenters syn på biologiundervisning

Abstract

The study investigates how student teachers for different school levels reason about biology teaching and which didactic choices they consider important within the subject. The aim is to contribute knowledge about similarities and differences between school levels, as well as to examine what teachers at different levels can learn from one another in order to improve biology education. The study is based on a qualitative research approach in which focus group interviews were conducted with student teachers that will be teaching children from 6 years old up to 19 years old. The material was analyzed using thematic analysis. The results show that there are more similarities than differences between the school levels. Teachers at all levels emphasised the importance of making biology concrete through, for example, laboratory work, models, practical activities, and connections to everyday life. The study also shows that progression in biology education mainly concerns increasing depth and complexity rather than completely different teaching methods between school levels, although the methods are used somewhat differently. A central finding is that playfulness, creativity, and experience-based learning decrease as students grow older, while the focus on performance and assessment increases. The risks are that students’ motivation and their relationship with biology as a subject can be negatively affected. The study also shows that teachers’ personal interest in and subject knowledge of biology influences how teaching is designed, especially in lower primary school, where teachers do not choose to specialise in biology. Finally, the results highlight the importance of increased collaboration between school levels to create clearer progression and continuity in teaching. The study also points to the need for teacher education programes to include greater knowledge about other school levels, and to strengthen student teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge in biology.