Guided Inquiry-Based Electricity Experiments: Pre-service Elementary Science Teachers’ Difficulties

Abstract

Renewed primary and elementary schools science curriculum has been implemented in Turkey for three years. In this curriculum students are required to learn school science subjects by various inquiry-based learning activities or experiments. However, whether pre-service elementary science teachers (PSTs) are completely ready to implement this curriculum by considering some levels of inquiry is still not known. This study aims to explore PSTs’ difficulties in performing guided inquiry-based physic experiments and their perceptions about physics laboratory. A total of 80 PSTs participated in the study and they performed guided inquiry-based electricity experiments. Data were collected through an open-ended questionnaire, the interview and field note. Qualitative content analysis was performed to analyze the data obtained. The results of this study showed that some PSTs faced difficulty in performing the experiments due to their teacher-centered previous learning experiences, insufficient content knowledge about physics, insufficient inquiry skills, poor adaptation to inquiry activities and low-level collaboration. In addition, the majority of PSTs perceived physics laboratory as a place where the physics knowledge was confirmed. As a conclusion, this study showed that most PSTs had some difficulties in performing the guided inquiry-based electricity experiments. How researchers and instructors can decrease the number of the difficulties that PSTs face in the inquiry activities or experiments by taking some precautions is also discussed in this study.

Guided Inquiry-Based Electricity Experiments: Pre-service Elementary Science Teachers’ Difficulties

Abstract

Yenilenen İlköğretim Kurumları Fen Bilimleri Dersi Öğretim Programı üç yıldır Türkiye’de uygulanmaktadır. Bu programda öğrencilerin feni çeşitli sorgulayıcı öğrenme etkinlikleri ya da deneyleri ile öğrenmeleri istenmektedir. Fakat fen bilimleri dersi öğretmen adaylarının, bu öğretim programını sorgulayıcı öğrenmenin bazı düzeylerini düşünerek uygulamaya tam olarak hazır olup olmadıkları bilinmemektedir. Bu çalışmanın amacı fen bilimleri dersi öğretmen adaylarının elektrik konusuna yönelik rehberli-araştırma sorgulama deneylerini yaparken karşılaşmış oldukları zorlukları ve fizik laboratuvarı hakkındaki algılarını tespit etmektir. Çalışmaya 80 fen bilimleri dersi öğretmen adayı katılmıştır ve elektrik konusuna yönelik rehberli-araştırma sorgulama deneylerini yapmışlardır. Açık uçlu anket, mülakat ve gözlem bu çalışmada kullanılan veri toplama araçlarıdır. Elde edilen verileri analiz etmek için nitel içerik analizi uygulanmıştır. Bu çalışmanın sonuçlarına göre bazı öğretmen adayları deneyleri yaparken geçmiş öğretmen merkezli öğrenme deneyimlerinden, yetersiz fizik alan bilgilerinden, yetersiz sorgulama becerilerinden, problemlerinden ve düşük seviyedeki işbirliklerinden dolayı sıkıntılar yaşamışlardır. Ayrıca öğretmen adaylarının çoğu fizik laboratuvarını bilginin onaylandığı bir yer olarak düşünmüşlerdir. Sonuçta bu çalışma çoğu fen bilimleri dersi öğretmen adayının elektrik konusuna yönelik rehberli-araştırma sorgulama deneylerinde zorlandığını göstermiştir. Bu çalışmada araştırmacıların ve öğretmenlerin, öğretmen adaylarının rehberli-araştırma sorgulama deneylerinde karşılaştıkları zorlukların sayısını bazı önlemler alarak nasıl azaltabileceği de tartışılmıştır

Keywords

• zorluklar, elektrik, rehberli-araştırma sorgulama deneyleri, algılar, fizik deneyleri, fizik laboratuvarı

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