This study explored the use of digital notebooks in an elementary science methods course to encourage teacher candidates (TCs) to think critically about and reflect on important aspects of elementary science teaching. Framed within John Dewey’s experiential education and the application of this work to science education, we examined how TCs experienced digital science notebooks and the ways in which TCs plan to use them in their future classrooms. Data sources from two course sections included pre- and post-surveys and focus group interviews and were analyzed qualitatively. Findings suggest TCs’ engagement in digital notebooks as an inquiry experience and the investigative tasks therein supported organization of thoughts and reflection, taking multiple perspectives, and resulted in different levels of confidence in using digital notebooks, particularly regarding technology. Teacher candidates valued digital notebooks for use with students, noting the recording of observations and scientific explanations, differentiation and multimodal strategies, accessibility/shareability, and creativity. Concerns about digital notebooks included technology difficulties, technology access, and appropriate usage for elementary students. This study provides critical insights into how TCs perceive digital notebooks, an online tool that can be used to support active inquiry experiences in science, as students and as teachers.

本研究探讨了数字笔记本在基础科学方法课程中的使用，以鼓励教师候选人 (TC) 批判性地思考和反思基础科学教学的重要方面。在约翰·杜威的体验式教育以及这项工作在科学教育中的应用的框架内，我们研究了 TC 如何体验数字科学笔记本以及 TC 计划在未来的课堂中使用它们的方式。两个课程部分的数据来源包括事前和事后调查以及焦点小组访谈，并进行了定性分析。调查结果表明，TC 将数字笔记本作为一种询问体验和调查任务进行参与，支持组织思想和反思，采取多种视角，并导致对使用数字笔记本的信心不同程度，特别是在技术方面。教师候选人重视供学生使用的数字笔记本，注意到观察记录和科学解释、差异化和多模式策略、可访问性/可共享性和创造力。对数字笔记本的担忧包括技术困难、技术获取以及小学生的适当使用。这项研究提供了关于 TC 如何看待数字笔记本的重要见解，数字笔记本是一种在线工具，可用于支持学生和教师在科学方面的主动探究体验。