It is interesting to note that the student teachers seem to shy away from questions
about NOS. Thus in the written tasks it was rare to see anywhere near as
much attention given to NOS as to teaching and learning issues. In Starting Point B
essays they were asked to describe how their views and practice had changed in
relation to science, science teaching and learning and how changes had been influenced
from the all aspects of the course, including literature, sessions and school
placements. Only a very small number of the students in either sample mentioned
any of the NOS literature in writing this essay. However, references to literature in
relation to teaching and learning were copious. This was despite the fact that references
to NOS literature given directly through the course were high. Further, in
interviews, when asked directly about NOS, all but one student moved very quickly
into talking about teaching and learning and avoided talking about NOS unless
heavily probed. The focus group discussions followed a similar pattern.