First, the preservice teachers were learning novel abstract subject matter
(nature of science content). At the same time they were expected to learn how to address it
instructionally in a future setting of which they had little or no concrete functional knowledge.
Quite possibly, their ability to transfer their nature of science conceptions into instructional
practice was compromised by the simultaneity of learning both nature of science content and
pedagogy before they had any experience of teaching in secondary classrooms.