Pre-service teachers' subject knowledge of and attitudes about radioactivity and ionising radiation

This study focussed on secondary school (11-18 years) pre-service teachers’ (n=73) knowledge of and attitudes towards risks associated with alpha, beta and gamma radiations. A multi-method approach was used with physics, chemistry, biology and history graduates undertaking the one year initial teacher training, Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) course at a university in central England. A novel research tool, involving interviews about real concrete contexts and first hand data collection with radioactive sources, was employed to gain insights into a sub-set of the sample (n=12) of pre-service teachers’ subject knowledge of and attitudes towards risk. The subject knowledge of all the pre-service teachers was also measured using a Certainty of Response Instrument (CRI); multiple choice questions with associated confidence indicators. Although the physicists displayed the higher levels of knowledge, they also demonstrated limitations in their knowledge and held misconceptions such as irradiation being confused with contamination. Physics graduates hold more rational attitudes and a greater willingness to accept risk while the attitudes of graduates in the other subject disciplines are more disparate. These findings raise questions about the extent to which pre-service science and history teachers have the knowledge necessary to teach this topic. The article concludes with discussion of the implications these findings have for initial teacher training, continuing professional development (CPD) needs for teachers already in the profession and curriculum developers

Trainee teachers and ionising radiation: understandings, attitudes and risk assessments. A descriptive study in one institution

This study described UK trainee teachers’ understandings of and attitudes to radioactivity and ionising radiation, in one School of Education. The investigation addressed three research questions. The first focussed on the understanding of alpha, beta and gamma radiations. The second looked at risk assessments involving alpha, beta and gamma radiations and, the third, explored attitudes to alpha, beta and gamma radiations. An innovative tool called ‘interviews about experimental scenarios’ (IAES) and survey questionnaires were administered to physics, chemistry, biology and history specialists. The collected evidence supported the hypothesis that increased time spent in formal science education correlates with a better understanding and more positive and rational attitudes. The trainee teachers were considered to be well-educated members of the public and, therefore, the findings to offer a reasonable ‘best-case scenario’ of the public understanding of science. However, understanding was incomplete and misconceptions existed. Unique to this research were the misconceptions that alpha, beta and gamma radiations reflect back from shiny surfaces similar to light and also refract in water. The study identified implications arising from its findings and made specific recommendations for communicators of science to the public, Initial Teacher Training and Continuing Professional Development for teachers