The Effects of Reflective Inquiry Based Activities’ on Preservice Science Teachers’ Biology Laboratory Concerns and Critical Thinking Dispositions

Fatma Şahin; Seda Usta Gezer

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Year 2014, Issue: 27, 25 - 50, 26.05.2014

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the effects of Reflective Inquiry Based General Biology Laboratory activities’ on science teachers' concerns and critical thinking dispositions. It was conducted in the spring semester of 2010‐2011 academic year, a state university in Istanbul Faculty of Education Science Teaching Program with second‐grade students. The study group was consisted of a total of 66 teachers which 36 of them control group and 30 of them the experimental group. The study was carried out by researchers at General Biology II Laboratory Course, for "Photosynthesis," Respiration "and" Germination "issues to be 2 hours per week by reflective inquiry approach to the experimental group and by traditional approach to.the control group. A significant increase found in critical thinking dispositions of experimental group preservice science teachers. The biology laboratory concerns didn’t effected neither by reflective inquiry nor by traditional approach. Key Words: Reflective Inquiry; 5E Model; Science Teacher Education; General Biology Laboratory; Inquiry Types. Extended Purpose Reflective inquiry is defined as an inquiry type where both inquiry strategies and reflection activities are carried out together (Loh, Reiser, Radinsky, Edelson, Gomez and Marshall, 2001). The studies about reflective inquiry approach in science related studies were concentrated in the areas of understanding the nature of science (Khishfe and Khalick, 2002) and technology‐supported learning education impacts on reflective inquiry approach (Loh, Radinsky, Reiser, Edelson and Gomez, 1998; Kyza, Golan, Reiser and Edelson, 2002). In the literature, it has not been reached to any studies which investigates reflective inquiry‐approach in General Biology Laboratory. The problem statement of this study, "Is there any effect of reflective Inquiry‐Based General Biology Laboratory activities’ on preservice science teachers’ biology laboratory concerns and critical thinking dispositions? Method This study was designed as an experimental model which is a type of quantitative research models. The design of the study was pretest ‐ posttest control group quasi‐experimental design. In the study quantitative data collection tools were used. The study was conducted in 2010‐2011 academical year with a public university’s education faculty’s science education department 2nd year students. 66 preservice science teachers were the study group. Control and experimental groups were created among these students by randomly assigning.The study was carried out by researchers at General Biology II Laboratory Course, for "Photosynthesis," Respiration "and" Germination "issues to be 2 hours per week by reflective inquiry approach to the experimental group and by traditional approach to the control group. In this study, "Chemistry Laboratory Concern Questionnaire" which was adapted by Azizoğlu and Uzuntiryaki (2006) adjusted to biology course and used as one data collection tool to investigate preservice science teachers’biology laboratory concerns. The other data collection tool “Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory” was adapted by Kökdemir (2003) and used to investigate the preservice science teachers’ critical thinking dispositions. Reflective inquiry approach applied to the experimental group. 5E Model was enriched with reflection activities in the application. Students worked in groups and different inquiry types were used as inquiry models to practice 5E Model. Results There was any significant difference at p = .05 level found between experimental and control groups pre and posttest biology laboratory concern scale scores. Also neither experimental nor control groups’ own biology laboratory concern scale pre and posttests didn’t show any significant difference. This finding show that there wasn’t any statistically significant difference between these two groups’ biology laboratory concerns after the application. There was found a statistically significant difference at p = .05 level between experimental groups’ Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory pre and posttest scores. Control group pre and posttest scores didn’t show significant difference. Experimental and control group posttest scores show significant difference at p = .05 level. This finding show reflective inquiry based general biology laboratory course affects preservice science teachers’ critical thinking dispositions positively. Discussion In the application, experimental group students had guidance for finding their own experiment materials. They didn’t get any information about how to use them. Therefore they asked questions when they had problems and they figured out how to create their experiments. They tried to work by scientific method at the same time they were trying to find the correct materials for their experiments. This might causetohave laboratory concern. They might worry about to do academically right while working by using scientific process skills. This could be the reason why there was no significant difference between control and experimental group students’ biology laboratory concern scale scores. While experimental group was trying to do reflective inquiry by limited guidance, control group got all directions and all experiment materials by the guidance of laboratory manual. This could give them comfort but at the same time this might cause limited practice and limited understanding of scientific method. Although laboratories have important role in science education, studies show that students can’t make the simple relations between their knowledge and laboratory activities (Hofstein ve Mamlok Naaman, 2007). Kirschner, Sweller and Clark (2006) points out if the students don’t have strong prior knowledge, constructivist education environments and limited guidance can’t help students to learn meaningful. Our finding show students’ concerns about biology laboratory were continuing after reflective

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