Abstract

In the present study young class teachers converse about the school reality they encounter when starting to teach sciences. Altogether 9 pre- and in-service teachers participated in the conversation. Teachers want to build their primary science teaching on the prior knowledge of the students and to keenly involve themselves in students’ interests and skills. However, they think that lack of time and experimental equipment makes it difficult to allow students to work in small groups and perform their own experiments. Teachers’ fragments of stories are collected to a collage allowing us to look into the future. A collage goes beyond realist storytelling. It is playing with ideas and reveals possible courses of future action. In discussing the curriculum teachers note that they themselves must find out how to connect experiments and theory. This seems to be a challenge, especially when abstract concepts should be applied. Teachers feel to have difficulties to admit that they do not know everything; however they try to give qualified knowledge whenever possible. More collaboration between teachers could be a cure both for limited subject matter knowledge and limited time resources. Our teachers are building a sense of commitment by developing a shared understanding of the future they seek to create and the guiding principles, values and practices by which to get there.