Prospective science teachers conceptions about astronomical subjects

Abstract

The main objective of this study was to identify prospective science teachers’ conceptions on basic astronomical phenomena. A questionnaire consisting of nine open-ended questions was administered to 327 prospective science teachers. The questionnaire was constructed after extensive review of the literature and took into consideration the reported cumulative evidence. More evidence was also collected from individual interviews from a smaller sample of 33 participants. The analysis of both the quantitative and qualitative data indicated that prospective science teachers (PST) hold a number of conceptions about several astronomical phenomena, such as, the cause of the seasons, the stars as luminous objects, the lunar eclipse and the phases of the Moon, the shooting stars and the how the universe was created. Theoretical and or educational implications should follow.