Pre-service teachers’ perceptions about the contributions of field work and construction of a physical model to modelling aquifers

Teachers are crucial to implement innovative activities in the classroom and to make them effective for their students’ learning. Teachers’ beliefs have been found to condition the extent to which and the way in which they carry out certain activities. This study analyses the beliefs of 73 pre-service teachers (two cohorts) about two resources (fieldwork and physical model) used in an aquifer modelling sequence in which they had participated. Their perceptions are compared with the hypothetical purposes of the resources in a modelling process. The data analyzed were the written reflections at the end of the activities. Both resources were rated very positively. Practically all participants referred to contributions to learning and many made metacognitive reflections. The results show that both resources met the expectations about their contribution to modelling. The implications for future design of modelling activities are discussed.