Table 1 Course A topics and assignments

Goals of biology teaching

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A-P1^b: Analyzing the learning goals and teaching strategies in one of the teachers’ learning activities, planning and explaining changes in the activity and/or goals, and describing the relations to the biology curriculum goals

Promotion of students’ interest in biology using students’ questions

A-R^b: Pre-reading of an article on students’ interests and questions in science teaching (Baram-Tsabari & Hagay, 2009)

A-P2^b: Planning a teaching and learning unit based on students’ interests as indicated by their questions prior to learning, including analysis of students’ questions and alignment with the national curriculum

“Learning for understanding” (Perkins & Blythe, 1994) and formative assessment

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A-P3^b: Discussion in small groups, and submitting, individually, one of the following: a. planning a teaching unit according to the “Learning for understanding” approach (Perkins & Blythe, 1994), b. planning and using concept maps as an understanding performance or formative assessment, c. analyzing an example of formative assessment used in class in the “Learning for understanding” framework