Modelling the Science Teacher Identity through the Enhanced-Microteaching among Pre-Service Science Teachers in Public Colleges of Education in Southwestern, Nigeria

Abstract

The level of expectation and responsibility demands of a science teacher in today’s society calls for a remodel of science teaching systems with respect to who teaches science and how it is taught. Consequently, science teachers need a deliberate social and identity transformation if they are to achieve the aim of science education in the world today. This view, calls for a rethink in teacher training programs to prepare pre-service science teachers for identities compatible with the new realities. The need to address this issue has given impetus to this experimental study on modelling the science teacher identity through Enhanced-microteaching among pre-service science teachers in public Colleges of Education in southwestern, Nigeria. The study adopted an embedded mixed method of one group pretest-posttest quasi experimental and survey research design. The study involved 133 pre-service teachers from intact classes of part II pre-service science teachers who were purposively selected from the three government owned colleges of education in south-western, Nigeria. Pre-service teachers were exposed to a specially Enhanced-Microteaching Procedure (r = 0.73). A Science Teacher Identity Rating Scale (r = 0.81) complemented with in depth interviews were used to collect data for answering the three research questions raised to guide the study. Treatment lasted 11 weeks. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson product moment correlation, Multiple regression analysis at 0.05 level of significance, while qualitative data were content-analyzed. Findings revealed that science teachers’ identity among the pre-service science teachers in public Colleges of Education, southwestern, Nigeria was very poor. The study also revealed that modelling science teacher identity through Enhanced microteaching improved teacher identity ratings and transformed science teacher identity among the pre-service science teachers as confirmed by interviews with teachers. Therefore, adopting more vibrant strategies like enhanced micro teaching in teacher training will better prepare confident teachers who can cope with dynamic classroom situations.