School Subjects' Synergy and Teacher Knowledge: Do Biology and Chemistry Teachers Benefit Equally from Their Second Subject?

Autor/inn/en	Welter, Virginia Deborah Elaine; Herzog, Stefanie; Harms, Ute; Steffensky, Mirjam; Großschedl, Jörg
Titel	School Subjects' Synergy and Teacher Knowledge: Do Biology and Chemistry Teachers Benefit Equally from Their Second Subject?
Quelle	In: Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 59 (2022) 2, S.285-326 (42 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Zusatzinformation	ORCID (Welter, Virginia Deborah Elaine) ORCID (Herzog, Stefanie) ORCID (Harms, Ute) ORCID (Steffensky, Mirjam) ORCID (Großschedl, Jörg)
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0022-4308
DOI	10.1002/tea.21728
Schlagwörter	Biology; Chemistry; Preservice Teachers; Foreign Countries; Teacher Competencies; Self Concept; Beliefs; Motivation; Teacher Characteristics; Germany + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Biologie; Chemie; Ausland; Lehrkunst; Selbstkonzept; Belief; Glaube; psychologische; Motivation (psychologisch); Deutschland
Abstract	German preservice teachers always study two teaching subjects instead of only one. This offers an almost paradigmatic approach for the investigation of effects of specific subject combinations on professional competence. So far, few studies focused on potential beneficial effects or risks on preservice teachers' motivational orientations, beliefs, and professional knowledge. In our exploratory study, we chose a cross-sectional quasi-experimental design to compare preservice teachers studying a combination of biology and chemistry to those who study only one of these two subjects and any other, as it is expected that the differences between less similar subjects (such as chemistry and art) are greater than those between two science subjects. A total of N = 570 preservice teachers with a minimum of one of their subjects being biology or chemistry were recruited in 12 universities in Germany. Nonparametric analyses using Westenberg-Mood's median test show that preservice teachers studying both biology and chemistry score significantly different on some central aspects of professional competence compared to those who study only one of the two subjects and any other. However, advantages regarding motivational orientations and professional knowledge can only be found for the domain of biology, whereas in the domain of chemistry it does not seem to matter which second subject is studied beside chemistry. Furthermore, students taking both sciences show a significantly lower educational motivation and corresponding self-concept, suggesting that dual science students' teaching and learning beliefs are less education-focused than those of students combining one science with a social or language subject. Our findings regarding synergy effects of the dual study of different natural sciences on aspects of professional knowledge can be relevant beyond the specific German context, that is, they can help to supplement or restructure a university curriculum. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01