Promoting Preservice Teachers’ Attitudes toward Socioscientific Issues

Year 2018, Volume: 4 Issue: 1, 1 - 11, 31.01.2018

Sundus Yerdelen Mustafa Cansiz Nurcan Cansiz Hakan Akcay

Abstract

In this study, we aimed to improve preservice
teachers’ attitudes toward socioscientific issues through socioscientific issue
course. Moreover, we investigated whether this course influences preservice
teachers studying in a science education and non-science education in a similar
way. For this purpose, a semester-long socioscientific issues course was
designed and implemented. Data were collected from a science education group
(preservice science teachers) and a non-science education group (preservice
social-science teachers). In order to evaluate participants’ attitudes towards
socioscientific issues, Attitudes towards Socioscientific Issues Scale was
utilized before and after the course. This scale evaluates attitudes under
three themes: liking of socioscientific issues, interest and usefulness of
socioscientific issues, and anxiety towards socioscientific issues.  The result revealed that socioscientific
issues course provided similar gains for both preservice science teachers and
preservice social-science teachers on interest and usefulness of
socioscientific issues, liking of socioscientific issues, and anxiety towards socioscientific
issues. That is both groups derived a similar benefit from the socioscientific
issues course. Specifically, socioscientific issues course contributed to
preservice teachers’ interest and usefulness of socioscientific issues, and
liking of socioscientific issues positively. On the other hand, their anxiety
scores did not change significantly after the course.  These findings imply that, regardless of
majors, socioscientific issues course has potential to favor preservice
teachers’ attitudes toward socioscientific issues.

Keywords

Socioscientific issues, Preservice teachers, Attitude toward SSI, Science education, Social-science education

References

• Yerdelen, S., Cansiz, M., Cansiz, N., & Akcay, H. (2018). Promoting preservice teachers’ attitudes toward socioscientific issues. Journal of Education in Science, Environment and Health (JESEH), 4(1), 1- 11.