An Analysis on the Cognitive Structure and Opinions of Pre-Service Science Teachers on the Concept of Micro Teaching

Abstract

In this study, it is aimed to examine the cognitive structures of pre-service science teachers regarding the concept of “micro teaching”. The study was carried out with 25 teacher candidates studying in the 4th grade of science teaching at Alanya Alaaddin Keykubat University Faculty of Education in a 4-week period within the scope of the teacher practice course in the fall semester of the 2021-2022 academic year. In the study, since it was aimed to reveal the cognitive structures of pre-service science teachers regarding the concept of “micro teaching”, screening method was used. In the collection of the study data, “independent word association test, drawing-writing and concept map” were used. Content analysis was performed in the analysis of the data obtained from the study. When the findings obtained as a result of the study were examined, the categories obtained from three different measurement tools had features that support and explain each other. “Part of micro teaching, teaching practice, self-assessment and tools used in micro teaching” obtained from all three measurement tools emerged as common and dominant categories. The most commonly used answer words by pre-service teachers for the category of “part of micro teaching” were determined as “pre-service teacher, planning, presentation, group work, lesson, student, teaching, information, education, registration, teaching, self-evaluation, class, re-teach and re-plan”. The most commonly used answer words for the category of “teaching practice” by pre-service teachers were determined as “skill, development, experience, technique, experimentation, performance, ability, observation, reducing anxiety and practice”. The most commonly used answer words by pre-service teachers for the category of “self-evaluation” were determined as “evaluation, review, feedback, monitoring and feedback”. The most common answer words used by teacher candidates for the category of “tools used in micro teaching” were determined as “video, camera and tape”. When the drawings made by the pre-service teachers for approximately micro teaching are examined according to the levels, the drawings of 50% of them are partial drawings and conceptual representative drawings. They explained the concept of micro teaching in ways related to scientific facts. This situation can be evaluated as the cognitive structures of pre-service science teachers related to the concept of micro teaching are sufficient.