Some remarks on a current study involving preservice elementary teachers and some basic astronomical phenomena

Recent studies have shown that not only primary school students but also their future teachers reach science courses with pre-constructed and consistent models of the world surrounding them. These ideas include many misconceptions which turn out to be robust and hence make difficult an appropriate teaching-learning process. We have designed some tools (and show here results with a questionnaire) that proved helpful in putting in evidence some of the most frequently used alternative models on a few basic astronomical notions. We have tested this questionnaire with preservice elementary teachers from various normal schools in Buenos Aires and made a first analysis of the results. The collection of data recovered so far shows that some non-scientific conceptions are indeed part of the prospective teachers’ (scientific) background and, therefore, that the issue deserves special attention during their formal training.