Bridging Inquiry-Based Science Learning through Children’s Literature: A Case Study of an Initial Teacher Certification Program

Abstract

This case study explores the integration of children’s literature in science education, with a focus on engaging preservice teachers in a science methods course to select, locate, design, and implement the integration of children’s literature in their instructional practices. Sixty-four elementary preservice teachers in an initial teacher certification program in the central US participated in this study. The comprehensive written and oral reflections captured in this study offer insights into preservice teachers’ attitudes towards using children’s literature to teach science and the challenges they encounter in book selection and pedagogical decision-making. Our findings highlight a significant contrast between preservice teachers’ initial skepticism, marked by questions, concerns, and hesitance, and their positive feedback after engaging in the process of selecting, designing, and implementing science lesson plans incorporated with carefully selected children’s literature pieces. Our study confirms the valuable role of children’s literature in science teaching, particularly within the context of a science methods course for preservice teachers. It also aligns with Flick and Lederman’s (2006) perspective on scientific inquiry as an instructional strategy. The identified gaps in preservice teachers’ skills also emphasize the pressing need for professional development, such as workshops or training sessions, which specifically focus on developing their skills in selecting and locating children’s literature pieces that could be incorporated in inquiry-based science lesson plans.