Some Learning Outcomes From a Science Programme for Pre-service Primary Teachers Undertaken in the Context of a Developing Country

The article reports learning outcomes of a science teaching programme undertaken with pre-service primary teachers in Fiji. Two intact classes in a teachers' college studied a physical science unit, one class being taught using strategies derived from a constructivist perspective, and the other, the comparison group, being taught in the usual transmissive fashion. Learning outcomes were evaluated quantitatively and qualitatively, and indicated that students involved in the constructivist-based pedagogy generally developed a deeper conceptual understanding of the topic. In certain cases these learning outcomes could be linked to activities undertaken during the programme. The findings may have implications for the teaching of science in developing countries generally, where efforts to improve science education have often met with limited success.