Investigating the dimensions of modeling competence among preservice science teachers: Meta?modeling knowledge, modeling practice, and modeling product

Worldwide, teachers are expected to engage their students in authentic practices, like scientific modeling. Research suggests that experience challenges when integrating modeling classroom instruction, with one explanation themselves lack the necessary competence. Currently, theoretical conceptualizations structure competence into three dimensions: meta-modeling knowledge, practice, and products. While each of these dimensions is well researched on its own commonly be highly positively related, studies investigating specific relationships widely lacking. Aiming fill this gap, present study investigated products 35 secondary preservice biology engaging a black box task. Data were collected an established pen-and-paper questionnaire consisting five constructed response items assessing knowledge by videotaping participants Herein, operationalized as variables including decontextualized contextualized complexity, homogeneity processes product score. In contrast our expectations common assumptions literature, significant between Only complexity correlated significantly quality To investigate relationship further, qualitative in-depth analysis two cases presented. Implications for teacher education discussed.