Speaker
Dr
Farahnaz Sadidi
Description
Critical thinking (CT) is essential in physics education, yet teacher training often lacks effective preparation. This exploratory study, based on Halpern’s CT framework and behavioral theories, examines the challenges and attitudes of 23 German prospective physics teachers in a seminar on designing CT-integrated physics lessons. Inductive content analysis of discussions and pre-post questionnaire responses reveal that participants valued CT but struggled with topic selection and precise task formulation. The seminar enhanced their understanding of CT teaching’s feasibility, especially among skeptics. Findings give insights to the key design principles for effective teacher training programs.
| Education level | Pre-service and in-service teacher education |
|---|---|
| Physics topic | Full curriculum |
| Research focus | Competence-based education |
| Research method | Educational design research (Qualitative research) |
| Organizing preference criteria | Research focus |
