Investigation of Prospective Preschool Teachers’ Skills of Evaluating the Learning Outcomes in the Preschool Curriculum in Terms of Scientific Process Skills

Year 2022, Issue: 47, 55 - 67, 03.01.2023

Sevinç Kaçar

https://doi.org/10.5152/AUJKKEF.2022.1019220

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate prospective preschool teachers’ ability to evaluate the learning
outcomes and indicators in the preschool curriculum in terms of scientific process skills. A case
study and purposeful sampling method were preferred in the study. This study involved 78 prospective
preschool teachers studying at a private university in the Turkish Republic of Northern
Cyprus in the fall semester of the 2019–2020 academic year. The data source for the study is
the documents created by prospective preschool teachers. In this study, they were first given
theoretical and then applied training about scientific process skills. Parallel to this, three interrelated
learning outcomes in cognitive development in the 2013 Turkish Preschool Curriculum
were examined together with prospective teachers, and applied training on what the scientific
process skills were in them was carried out. Then, each prospective teacher was asked to examine
and classify the learning outcomes and indicators in the cognitive development domain in terms
of scientific process skills. The data gathered during the study were analyzed using the document
analysis method. As a result of the data analysis, it was found that they can classify the learning
outcomes and indicators included in the curriculum in terms of basic and intermediate scientific
process skills. Moreover, it was understood that the views of the prospective preschool teachers
on the science process skills, which they stated to be included in the learning outcomes in general,
and the views of the experts were parallel to each other.

Keywords

Preschool curriculum, prospective teachers, scientific process skills

References

• Afacan, Ö., & Selimhocaoğlu, A. (2012). Determining the proficiency of preschool teachers of the science activities and examining these competence according to some factors (Kırsehir sample). Journal of Academic Social Science Studies, 5(8), 1–20.
• Akman, B., Üstün, E., & Güler, T. (2003). Using science process skills in 6 years old children. Hacettepe University Journal of Education, 24, 11–14.
• Armga, C., Dillon, S., Jamsek, M., Jolley, P. D., Morgan, E. L., Peyton, D., & Speranza, H. (2002). Tips for helping children do science. Texas Child Care, 26(3), 2–7.
• Aydoğdu, B. (2006). Identification of variables effecting science process skills in primary science and technology course [Master’s Thesis]. Dokuz Eylül University.
• Aydoğdu, B. (2009). The effects of different laboratory techniques on students? Science process skills, views towards nature of science, attitudes towards laboratory and learning approaches in science and technology course[Doctoral Thesis]. Dokuz Eylül University.
• Ayvacı, H. Ş. (2010). A pilot survey to improve the use of scientific process skills of kindergarten children. Necatibey Faculty of Education Electronic Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 4(2), 1–24.
• Ayvacı, H. Ş., Devecioğlu, Y., & Yiğit, N. (2002). Okul öncesi öğretmenlerinin fen ve doğa etkinliklerindeki yeterliliklerinin belirlenmesi [Determination of pre-school teachers’ competencies in science and nature activities]. V. Ulusal Fen Bilimleri ve Matematik Eğitimim Kongresi (ss. 277–278). Bildiriler Kitabı.
• Bağcı-Kılıç, G. (2003). Üçüncü uluslararası matematik ve fen araştırması (TIMSS): Fen öğretimi, bilimsel araştırma ve bilimin doğası [Third international research in mathematics and science (TIMSS): Science teaching, scientific research and the nature of science]. Elementary Education Online, 2(1), 42–51.
• Balım, A. G., Deniş Çeliker, H., Türkoğuz, S., & Kaçar, S. (2013). The effect of reflections of science on nature project on students’ science process skills. Journal of Research in Education and Teaching, 2(1), 149–157.
• Bartan, M., & Başal, H. A. (2018). Pre-school education teachers’ views on scientific process skills and in class practices. Abant Izzet Baysal University Journal of Faculty of Education, 18(4), 1938–1959.
• Başdağ, G. (2006). Comparison of 2000 science course and 2004 science and technology curriculum in terms of scientific process skills [Master’s Thesis]. Gazi Üniversitesi.
• Batı, K., Ertürk, G., & Kaptan, F. (2010). The awareness levels of preschool education teachers regarding science process skills. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2(2), 1993–1999. [CrossRef]
• Bentley, M. L., Ebert, I. I., E. S., & Ebert, C. (2007). Teaching constructivist science, K-8: Nurturing natural investigators in the standards-based classroom. Corwin Press.
• Bingöl, D., & Ünal, M. (2019). The investigation of MONE pre-school science activities according to the scientific processing skills. Erzincan University Journal of Education Faculty, 21(2), 158–177. [CrossRef]
• Brotherton, P. N., & Preece, P. F. W. (1995). Science process skills: Their nature and interrelationships. Research in Science and Technological Education, 13(1), 5–11. [CrossRef]
• Büyüktaşkapu, S., Çeliköz, N., & Akman, B. (2012). The effects of constructivist science teaching program on scientific processing skills of 6 year-old children. Education and in Science, 37(165), 275–292.
• Can, B., & Şahin Pekmez, E. (2010). The effects of the nature of science activities on the development of seventh grade students’ science process skillss. Pamukkale University Journal of Education, 27, 113–123.
• Carin, A. A., & Bass, J. E. (2001). Teaching science as inquiry (p. 657). Prentice-Hall.
• Carin, A. A., Bass, J. E., & Contant, T. L. (2005). Teaching science as inquiry (10th ed). Person, Merill Prentice Hall.
• Çepni, S. (2014). Araştırma ve proje çalişmalarina giriş [Introduction to research and project studies] (7. ed). Celepler Matbaacılık.
• Çepni, S., Ayas, A. P., Özmen, H., Yiğit, N., Akdeniz, A. R., & Ayvacı, H. Ş. (2006). Fen ve teknoloji öğretimi [Science and technology teaching]. Pegem Akademi.
• Çepni, S., Ayas, A., P., Johnson, D., & Turgut, M. F. (1996). Fizik öğretimi [Physics teaching]. Milli eğitimi geliştirme projesi hizmet öncesi öğretmen eğitimi deneme basimi/National education development project pre-service teacher training trial edition.
• Çepni, S., & Çil, E. (2009). Fen ve teknoloji programi ilköğretim 1. ve 2. kademe öğretmen el kitabi [Science and technology program primary education 1st and 2nd level teacher's handbook]. Pegem Akademi.
• Charlesworth, R., & Lind, K. K. (2010). Math and science for young children. Cengage Learning.
• Cho, H. S., Kim, J., & Choi, D. H. (2003). Early childhood teachers’ attitudes toward science teaching: A scale validation study. Educational Research Quarterly, 27(2), 33–42.
• Conzeio, K., & French, L. (2002). Science in the preschool classroom: Capitalizing on children’s fascination with the everyday world to foster language and literacy development. Young Children, 57(5), 12–18.
• Doğan, I., & Kunt, H. (2016). Determination of prospective preschool teachers’ science process skills. Journal of European Education, 6(1), 8–18. [CrossRef]
• Dökme, İ. (2005). Evaluation of 6th grade science textbook published by the Turkish ministry of education in terms of science process skills. Elementary Education Online, 4(1), 7–17.
• Dönmez, F., & Azizoğlu, N. (2010). Investigation of the students’ science process skill levels in vocational schools: A case of Balikesir. Necatibey Faculty of Education Electronic Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 4(2), 79–109.
• Duran, M., & Ünal, M. (2016). The impacts of the tests on the scientific process skills of the preschool children. US–China Education Review A, 6(7), 403–411. [CrossRef]
• Ekinci-Vural, D., & Hamurcu, H. (2008). Preschool teacher candidates’ selfefficacy beliefs regarding science teaching lesson and opinions about science. Elementary Education Online, 7(2), 456–467.
• Eliason, C., & Jenkins, L. (2003). A practical guide to early childhood curriculum (7. ed.). Prentice-Hall.
• Ercan-Özaydın, T. (2010). The effect of the activities applied in line with the 5ème learning circle and scientific process skills in the seventh grade science and technology lesson of primary education on the academic achievement, scientific process skills and attitudes of the students [Doctoral Thesis]. Ege University.
• Erden, F. T., & Sönmez, S. (2011). Study of Turkish preschool teachers’ attitudes toward science teaching. International Journal of Science Education, 33(8), 1149–1168. [CrossRef]
• Ergin, Ö., Şahin-Pekmez, E., & Öngel-Erdal, S. (2005). Kuramdan uygulamaya deney yoluyla fen öğretim [Teaching science through experiment from theory to practice]. İzmir: Dinazor Kitapevi.
• Eshach, H., & Fried, M. N. (2005). Should science be taught in early childhood? Journal of Science Education and Technology, 14(3), 315–336. [CrossRef]
• Ferreira, L. B. M. (2004). The role of a science story, activities, and dialogue modeled on philosophy for children in teaching basic science process skills to fifth graders [Doctoral Thesis]. University of Montclair State University.
• Garbett, D. (2003). Science education in early childhood teacher education: Putting forward a case to enhance student teachers’ confidence and competence. Research in Science Education, 33(4), 467–481. [CrossRef]
• Germann, P. J., Haskins, S., & Auls, S. (1996). Analysis of nine high school biology laboratory manuals: Promoting scientific inquiry. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 26(3), 237–250. [CrossRef]
• Hachey, A. C., & Butler, D. L. (2009). Science education through gardening and nature-based play. Young Children, 64(6), 42–48.
• Hammerman, E. (2006). Essentials of inquiry-based science, K8. Corwin Press.
• Harlen, W. (1999). Purposes and procedures for assessing science process skills. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy and Practice, 6(1), 129–144. [CrossRef]
• Inan, H. Z. (2010). Examining preschool education teacher candidates’ content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge. Educational Sciences: Theory and Practice, 10(4), 2309–2323.
• Jackman, H. L. (2012). Early education curriculum, a child’s connection to the world (5th ed). Cengage Learning.
• Jirout, J., & Klahr, D. (2012). Children’s scientific curiosity: In search of an operational definition of an elusive concept. Developmental Review, 32(2), 125–160. [CrossRef]
• Karahan, Z. (2006). With in the science and technology lesson, the effects of scientific process skills based learning on learning pruducts [Master’s Thesis]. Zonguldak Karaelmas University.
• Karamustafaoğlu, S., & Kandaz, U. (2006). Using teaching methods in the science activities and difficulties encountered in pre-school education. Gazi University Journal of Gazi Educational Faculty, 26(1), 65–81.
• Kefi, S. (2014). The effects of supportive scientific activities education program on pre-school teachers’ usage levels of basic scientific process skills [Doctoral Thesis]. Selçuk University.
• Kefi, S., & Çeliköz, N. (2014). Validity and reliability study of identification scale for utilization degree of basic scientific process skills of preschool teachers. Journal of Research in Education and Teaching (Jet), 3(2), 345–364.
• Kefi, S., Çeliköz, N., & Erişen, Y. (2013). Preschool teachers’ levels of using the basic science process skills. Journal of Research in Education and Teaching, 2(2), 300–319.
• Keil, C., Haney, J., & Zoffel, J. (2009). Improvements in student achievement and science process skills using environmental health science problem-based learning curricula. Electronic Journal of Science Education, 13(1), 1–18.
• Kıldan, O., & Pektaş, M. (2009). Preschool teachers’ views regarding the teaching of the subjects related to science and nature during early childhood. AHI Evran University Journal of Kirsehir Education Faculty, 10(1), 113–127.
• Koray, Ö., Bahadır, H., & Geçkin, F. (2006). The states of being represented of science process’s skills in the course books of chemistry and chemistry curriculums at the class 9th. Zonguldak Karaelmas University Journal of Social Sciences, 2(4), 147–156.
• Koray, Ö., Bahadır, H., & Köksal, M. (2007). The states of being represented of science process skills in the 10th and 11th grade chemistry course books and chemistry curriculums. Sakarya University Journal of Education Faculty, 14, 59–68.
• Kunt, B., Özel, E., & Kunt, H. (2015). Determination of science process skills of 60–72 months old preschool students. Eurasian Education & Literature Journal, 3(3), 41–55.
• Kuru, N., & Akman, B. (2017). Examining the science process skills of preschoolers with regards to teachers’ and children’ variables. TED EĞİTİM VE BİLİM/Education and Science, 42(190), 269–279. [CrossRef]
• Lind, K. K. (1998, February 6-8). Science in early childhood: Developing and acquiring fundamental concepts and skills [Conference presentation. the Forum on Early Childhood Science, Mathematics, and Technology Education, National Science Foundation. Washington, DC. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED418777).
• Martin, D. J., Jean-Sigur, R., & Schmidt, E. (2005). Process-oriented inquiry—A constructivist approach to early childhood science education: Teaching teachers to do science. Journal of Elementary Science Education, 17(2), 13–26. [CrossRef]
• Meador, K. S. (2003). Thinking creatively about science suggestions for primary teachers. Gifted Child Today, 26(1), 25–29. [CrossRef]
• Miles, M., B., & Huberman, A. M. (1994). Qualitative data analysis: An expanded Sourcebook (2nd ed). Sage.
• Ministry of National Education (2013). Preschool education program. Morris, B. J., Croker, S., Masnick, A. M., & Zimmerman, C. (2012). The emergence of scientific reasoning. In Current topics in children’s learning and cognition. IntechOpen.
• Morrison, K. (2012). Integrate science and arts process skills in the early childhood curriculum. Dimensions of Early Childhood, 40(1), 31–39.
• Mulyeni, T., Jamaris, M., & Supriyati, Y. (2019). Improving basic science process skills through inquiry-based approach in learning science for early elementary students. Journal of Turkish Science Education, 16(2), 187–201. [CrossRef]
• Murphy, C., & Smith, G. (2012). The impact of a curriculum course on preservice primary teachers’ science content knowledge and attitudes towards teaching science. Irish Educational Studies (Irish ed), 31(1), 77–95. [CrossRef]
• Nuhoğlu, H., & Ceylan, R. (2012). Evaluation of objectives and achievements in pre-school curriculum interms of scientific process skills.Buca Faculty of Education Journal, 34, 112–127.
• Olgan, R. (2015). Influences on Turkish early childhood teachers’ science teaching practices and the science content covered in the early years. Early Child Development and Care, 185(6), 926–942.[CrossRef]
• Olgan, R., Güner Alpaslan, Z., & Öztekin, C. (2014). Factors influencing preservice early childhood teachers’ outcome expectancy beliefs regarding science teaching. Education and in Science, 39(173), 288–300.
• Ostlund, K. L. (1992). Science process skills: Assessing hands-on student performance. Addison-Wesley.
• Özbey, S., & Alisinanoğlu, F. (2009). Satisfactories of the preschool teachers about the science activities in preschool. Gazi University Journal of Gazi Educational Faculty, 29(1), 1–18.
• Özbey, S., & Alisinanoğlu, F. (2010). Testing validity and reliability of the preschool teachers’ competencies in science activities scale. Milli Eğitim, 39(185), 267–277.
• Özmen, H., & Yiğit, N. (2005). The use of laboratory in science teaching. Anı Yayıncılık.
• Öztürk, M. (2016). The effect of inquiry based science education program on 60–72 months old children’s science process skills concept and language development [Doctoral Thesis]. Hacettepe University.
• Padilla, M. (1990). The science process skills National Association for Research in Science Teaching. Retrieved from https ://na rst.o rg/re searc h-mat ters/ scien ce-pr ocess -skil ls. tarihinde erişilmiştir 01.02.2021.
• Rambuda, A. M., & Fraser, W. J. (2004). Perceptions of teachers of the application of science process skills in the teaching of geography in secondary schools in the free state province. South African Journal of Education, 24(1), 10 –17.
• Ramey-Gassert, L. (1997). Learning science beyond the classroom. Elementary School Journal, 97(4), 433–450. [CrossRef]
• Rezba, R. J., Sprague, C., Fıel, R. L., & Funk, H. J. (1995). Learning and assessing science process skills. Kendal/Hunt Publishing Company.
• Saat, R. M. (2004). The acquisition of integrated science process skills in a web based learning environment. Research in Science ve Technological Education, 22(1), 23–40.[CrossRef]
• Saçkes, M. (2014). How often do early childhood teachers teach science concepts? Determinants of the frequency of science teaching in kindergarten. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 22(2), 169–184. [CrossRef]
• Saçkes, M., Akman, B., & Trundle, C. K. (2012). A science methods course for early childhood teachers: A model for undergraduate pre-service teacher education. Necatibey Faculty of Education Electronic Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 6(2), 1–26.
• Şahin, F., Yıldırım, M., Sürmeli, H., & Güven, İ. (2018). A test development study for evaluation of preschool children’s scientific process skills. Science Education Art and Technology Journal, 2(2), 124–138.
• Sarıtaş, R. (2010). Concept acquisition and the effectiveness of the GEMS (great exploration in math and science) science and mathematics program adapted to the ministry of education pre-school education program in preparing six year old kindergarten students for primary education [Master’s Thesis]. Gazi Üniversitesi.
• Senemoğlu, N. (1994). Which competencies should the preschool education program gain? Hacettepe University Journal of Education, 10, 21–30.
• Taşar, M. F., Temiz, B. K., & Tan, M. (2002). İlköğretim fen öğretim programında hedeflenen öğrenci kazanımlarının bilimsel süreç becerilerine göre sınıflandırılması. V. Ulusal Fen Bilimleri ve Matematik Eğitimi Kongresi (ss. 380–385). Bildiri Kitabı.
• Tatar, N. (2006). The effect of inquiry-based learning approaches in the education of science in primary school on the science process skills, academic achivement and attitude [Doctoral Thesis]. Gazi Üniversitesi.
• Torres, A., & Vitti, D. (2007). A kinder science fair. Science and Children, 45, 21–25.
• Trundle, K. C. (2010). Teaching science during the early childhood years. Best practices and research base. National Geographic. Retrieved from https ://ng l.cen gage. com/a ssets /down loads /ngsc i_pro 00000 00028 /am_t rundl e_tea ch_sc i_ear ly_ch ild_s cl22- 0429a .pdf. tarihinde erişilmiştir 10.08.2020.
• Tsung-Hui, T. (2001). Teacher–child verbal interactions in preschool science teaching [PhD Thesis]. Iowa State University.
• Ünal, M., & Akman, B. (2006). Early Childhood teachers’ attitudes towards science teaching. Hacettepe University Journal of Education, 30, 251–257.
• Ünal, M., & Sağlam, M. (2018). Examination of the effect of the GEMS program on problem solving and science process skills of 6 years old children. European Journal of Educational Research, 7(3), 567–581. [CrossRef]
• Yıldırım, A., & Şimşek, H. (2018). Qualitative research methods in the social sciences. Seçkin Yayıncılık.
• Yıldız, E., & Tatar, N. (2012). An analysis of the activities in elementary science and technology textbooks according to science process skills and structural characteristics. Education and in Science, 37(164), 108–125.
• Yılmaz-Senem, B. (2013). Content analysis of 9th grade physics curriculum, textbook, lessons with respect to science process skills [Doctoral Thesis]. Middle East Technical University.
• Zeren-Özer, D. (2011). The effect of project based learning approach on both the academic achievement and the development of science process skills of prospective teachers of science education department towards biology lesson [Doctoral Thesis]. Uludag University.