This thesis reports on the perceptions held by second year preservice primary teachers and their tutors/supervisors of a 1990 microteaching program at a regional university in Queensland. Perceptions were ascertained on (a) the skills addressed, (b) peer and tutor feedback, (c) the self evaluation techniques used, (d) the content level taught, (e) the videotaping of the sessions, and (f) the effectiveness of the program in the continuing development of teaching skills for preservice teachers. Perceptions were collected using a questionnaire designed for the purpose. The questionnaire incorporates fixed response options, for which percentages of those agreeing with each response are presented in tabular form. It also invites open ended responses which are coded according to the areas designated of interest for the study. A Likert type rating scale is used to ascertain opinions on the effectiveness of the program for developing particular classroom teaching skills. Results of the study indicate that for the participants, microteaching is appropriate and effective in helping to provide prospective teachers with experiences that complement practice teaching in schools, but that the actual structure and components of any such program requires some discussion. Analysis indicates a need to vary microteaching programs from those of many traditional approaches based on the early Stanford model. The writer suggests the concept of a teaching-learning laboratory based on a macro teaching skill approach with peers as more appropriate for current preservice teacher education.

There exists a general consensus in the science education literature around the goal of enhancing students. and teachers. views of nature of science (NOS). An emerging area of research in science education explores NOS and argumentation, and the aim of this study was to explore the effectiveness of a science content course incorporating explicit NOS and argumentation instruction on preservice primary teachers. views of NOS. A constructivist perspective guided the study, and the research strategy employed was case study research. Five preservice primary teachers were selected for intensive investigation in the study, which incorporated explicit NOS and argumentation instruction, and utilised scientific and socioscientific contexts for argumentation to provide opportunities for participants to apply their NOS understandings to their arguments. Four primary sources of data were used to provide evidence for the interpretations, recommendations, and implications that emerged from the study. These data sources included questionnaires and surveys, interviews, audio- and video-taped class sessions, and written artefacts. Data analysis involved the formation of various assertions that informed the major findings of the study, and a variety of validity and ethical protocols were considered during the analysis to ensure the findings and interpretations emerging from the data were valid. Results indicated that the science content course was effective in enabling four of the five participants. views of NOS to be changed. All of the participants expressed predominantly limited views of the majority of the examined NOS aspects at the commencement of the study. Many positive changes were evident at the end of the study with four of the five participants expressing partially informed and/or informed views of the majority of the examined NOS aspects. A critical analysis of the effectiveness of the various course components designed to facilitate the development of participants‟ views of NOS in the study, led to the identification of three factors that mediated the development of participants‟ NOS views: (a) contextual factors (including context of argumentation, and mode of argumentation), (b) task-specific factors (including argumentation scaffolds, epistemological probes, and consideration of alternative data and explanations), and (c) personal factors (including perceived previous knowledge about NOS, appreciation of the importance and utility value of NOS, and durability and persistence of pre-existing beliefs). A consideration of the above factors informs recommendations for future studies that seek to incorporate explicit NOS and argumentation instruction as a context for learning about NOS.