There are currently global concerns about the quality of science education. The specific concerns driving our displeasure with the quality of science teaching and learning are economics, national security, and a general desire to promote scientific literacy among the citizenry. As a consequence, many nations have developed reforms (in the form of new standards) to our approaches to science teaching, curriculum, and assessment. These reforms have obvious implications for teacher education; in particular how an individual is “licensed” to be a classroom teacher of science.

This session brings together scholars from Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, South Africa, and South America to discuss how individuals are initially educated to become science teachers (i.e., preservice teacher education). These scholars will discuss the details of initial teacher preparation at the secondary and elementary levels in their continent. It is not assumed that all countries/states in these continents have the same approach to the preparation and licensing of teachers (just consider the diversity of countries across Asia, for example), nor is it assumed that a representative view of a total continent is possible. There is a limit to the number of people that we can involve. However, having authors from around the world will provide a more global perspective than most individuals in science teacher education possess. It is hoped that this discussion will elucidate the similarities, differences, and noted successes and challenges of science teacher education from a more global perspective. Our differences, similarities, successes, and challenges can serve to inform and enhance our efforts in our local contexts.

The presentations in this session will summarize articles published in a special issue of the Journal of Science Teacher Education titled, “Preservice Science Teacher Preparation: A Global Perspective.”

Presiders/Discussants:Norman Lederman and Judith Lederman

Illinois Institute of Technology, USA and Editors of Journal of Science Teacher Education Presenters: The first author representing each continent will contribute to the plenary session. 

Africa

Meshach Ogunniyi, University of the Western Cape, South Africa

Marissa Rollnick, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa

Asia

Liu Enshan, Beijing Normal University, China

Liu Chang, Beijing Normal University, China

Jian Wang, Beijing Normal University, China

Australia

David Treagust, Curtin University, Australia

Jacinta Petersen, Notre Dame University, Australia

Mihye Won, Curtin University, Australia

Georgie Wynne, Catholic Education Office of Western Australia, Australia 

Europe

Justin Dillon, University of Bristol, United Kingdom

Virginie Albe, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Cachan, France

Maria Evagorou, University of Nicosia, Cyprus

Jouni Viiri, University of Jyväskylä, Finland 

North America

Joanne Olson, Iowa State University, USA

Todd Milford, University of Victoria, Canada

Chris Ohana, Western Washington University, USA

Christine Tippett, University of Ottawa, Canada

South America

Hernan Cofre, Pontifica Universidad Catolica de Valparaiso, Chile

Germán Ahumada, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile

Johanna Camacho, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile

Melina Furman, Universidad de San Andrés, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Rómulo Gallego, Universidad Pedagógica Nacional de Bogotá, Colombia

Corina González-Weil, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile & Centro de Investigación Avanzada en Educación, CIAE, Chile

David Santibáñez, Universidad Católica Silva Henríquez, Santiago, Chile & Mathematics and Science Education Department, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, USA

Royman Pérez, Universidad Pedagógica Nacional de Bogotá, Colombia

María E. Podesta, Universidad de San Andrés, Buenos Aires, Argentina Claudia Vergara, Universidad Alberto Hurtado, Santiago, Chile