Pre-service physics teachers learning to teach biology: the influence of an out-of-field teaching course on professional identity

Abstract

Out-of-field teaching is a phenomenon faced by many countries worldwide, including Thailand. Because out-of-field teaching can alleviate the shortage of teachers qualified in certain subjects, such as mathematics and science, research has focused on facilitating in-service teachers to teach out of their fields to ensure students excel in these subjects. However, little effort has been made to prepare pre-service teachers to deal with this phenomenon. This mixed-methods research examines the influence of an out-of-field teaching course on pre-service teachers’ professional identities. Participants comprised 23 pre-service physics teachers (nine male and 14 female) who designed biology lessons and conducted teaching rehearsals. A Likert-type scale measuring the three components of professional identity (motivation, self-image, and self-efficacy) was completed before and after the course’s instructional activities. Semi-structured interviews were then conducted with all individual participants. The statistical analysis of quantitative data indicated that the participants’ professional identities had significantly developed. The content analysis of qualitative data revealed that participants changed their perceptions of biology, broadened their views of science teaching, and increased their self-efficacy for biology teaching. These results suggest that, with appropriate support, an out-of-field teaching course can strengthen pre-service teachers’ professional identities.