Development of Pre-service Teachers’ Conceptualisation of Science as a Human Endeavour: Bridging the Gap Case Study

The implementation of the Australian Curriculum in 2014 saw the introduction of ‘Science as a Human Endeavour’ as a strand in science education, nationally. This approach, along with the introduction of the AC in general, had significant implications for initial teacher education programs in universities Australia wide.
Bridging the Gap, a STEM curriculum studies program run by Flinders University since 2016, has facilitated engagement for pre-service teachers with industry partners and research scientists to focus on ‘real-world’ STEM-centred problem solving. Research has been conducted with each Bridging the Gap cohort by means of quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews which included specific enquiry around the concept of Science as a Human Endeavour.
This paper draws on the data collected and uses Bridging the Gap as a case study to track the development of pre-service teachers’ understanding of SHE over a period of four years. Further, it discusses how broader engagement and work-integrated learning experiences enhance pre-service teachers’ conceptualisation and application of Science as a Human Endeavour in the classroom context.