As primary teachers’ attitudes toward science teaching influences the amount and quality of science education delivered at school, explicit attention should be given to their enhancement in preservice teacher education. As previous research has not given due consideration to this goal in online learning environments, the aim of this study is to compare the change in attitudes towards the teaching of science among preservice teachers completing a science curriculum and pedagogy unit in face-to-face and online attendance modes. Data on preservice teachers’ attitudes will be collected before and after their participation in the unit using a recently developed survey instrument, and their perceptions about what unit design features influenced their attitudes will be generated at interview upon their completion of the unit. It is anticipated that the findings from this study will enable the researchers to refine their practice in future iterations of the relevant units and contribute to educational theory through validating further a theoretical model.
