How Close Are Teachers to Think in a Scientific Manner?

Year 2019, Volume: 13, 17 - 23, 31.08.2019

Naz Fulya Ozkarabacak Ayse Oguz Unver

Abstract

Lately,
The Ministry of National Education (Turkey) has announced ‘2023 Education
Vision’ for raising qualified generations equipped with a variety of skills and
for meeting the needs of educators. Students, families, teachers and schools
are four primary elements of the report. Especially upskilling teachers who
appeal future generations and evaluating their skills are often referred in the
report. In this regard, the present survey study aimed to determine and compare
scientific thinking skills of teachers in accordance with their working
experiences. Sampling of the study comprised of 62 teachers working in schools
of Aegean region of Turkey from a variety of disciplines such as mathematics,
science, and information technologies, and of working experiences from 1 to 28
years. Data of the study are gathered through sequential inquiry-based activity
sheets administered simultaneously with the implementation of inquiry-based
activities regarding electromagnetism. Findings of the study revealed that
teachers had irrational and intuitive levels of thinking skills at the
beginning and they could improve their level of thinking through activities and
approached to think more in a scientific manner. However, this improvement
differed as working experience changes. Novice teachers who have working career
for less than 2 years could not show statistically significant improvement in
their statements, in contrast, well-experienced teachers showed statistically
significant increase in their scientific thinking scores. They could record
their predictions and explanations consistently by considering variables, and
evidence-data, they could make observations in an objective way which are the
analyzing criteria determined by considering the literature. With the light of
the findings, it is argued that especially novice teachers need support to
improve their abilities and that they could be encouraged in a longer period
with such inquiry-based activities fostering their thinking skills which
eventually result in having scientific thinking generations as intended in 2023
education vision.

Keywords

Scientific thinking, Teacher experience, Evaluation, 2023 Education vision

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