In this paper, we present a professional development/upgrading programme in science for early-years teachers and investigate its impact on the teachers' competencies in relation to their knowledge and teaching of science. The basic idea of the programme was to motivate the teachers by making them members of an action research group aimed at…

There is movement in Australia towards requiring an initial degree for entry into teacher education programs in hopes of improving science teaching in primary schools. Upon entry into preservice education degree programs, Australian and Canadian student teachers were interviewed to determine whether first degrees influenced perceptions about…