Elementary preservice teachers: constructing conceptions about learning science, teaching science and the nature of science

Abstract Elementary preservice teachers' conceptions of learning science, teaching science and the nature of science were elicited through questionnaires and semi‐structured interviews at the beginning and end of two senior undergraduate elementary science education courses. Responses and comments were analysed and similar conceptions of learning, teaching and science were grouped together. Analysis of the responses reveals that few changes to these conceptions occurred over the 13‐week length of the courses and we therefore focus our discussion on the complicated question: why did there appear to be such modest changes to the preservice teachers' initial ideas about learning, teaching science and the nature of science?.