期刊名称：International Journal of Environmental and Science Education
电子版ISSN：1306-3065
出版年度：2011
卷号：6
期号：3
页码：213-227
出版社：IJESE
摘要：The shortage of science teachers in the United States and throughout the world indicates a collective need to recruit more students into the science teaching field and to retain current science teachers. This study explores the profiles of U.S. science teacher candidates and investigates what attracts and discourages these pre-service teachers into teaching science. Through the use of survey and structured interview approaches we investigated the profiles of pre-service elementary, middle school, and high school teachers (n = 109) who were interested in teaching science. Common findings among this set of science teacher candidates included: positive science experiences with K-12 teachers during childhood, beliefs that certain teacher preparation content courses were roadblocks to becoming certi-fied, unfamiliarity with the employment market for science teachers, and a lack of being recruited to teach science. Based on these profile characteristics of science teacher candidates, teacher educators may pursue specific strategies to encourage more teacher-candidates to select science as their teaching field.
