Characterizing the metacognitive thought of pre-service Physics teachers

Abstract

Educating physics teachers in initial training for metacognition is an exercise still little explored. Activities based on the epistemology of physics were planned and executed, characterizing their metacognitive thinking. Data collection was in the "Epistemology of Physics for Teaching" course at a public university in Bogotá. Data analysis occurred on qualitative research methodology, specifically through discourse analysis, from audio and videos of the activities carried out. The thematic sequence of the course dealt with aspects such as observability of nature, epistemological profiles of scientific concepts, epistemological obstacles in the discourses of those who speak about physics, and views of the Nature of science. Results indicate that teachers in training developed skills for self-assessment, recognizing their learning process, and projecting their speeches for teaching. They also showed self-regulation to enrich their language by modifying their ways of making sense of knowledge construction in physics and, in physics teaching, as well as a process to become aware of the importance of assuming metacognition as a guiding criterion for their learning in various aspects.