An Investigation of Pre-Service Preschool Teachers' Projects Using The Many-Facet Rasch Model

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate project proposals prepared by pre-service preschool teachers’ using ten criteria and thus determine the awareness of pre-service preschool teachers’ toward the Research Project course. The survey method, a quantitative research type, was used for this research. The study group of the research constituted six different project proposals prepared by final year undergraduate students taking the Research Project I and Research Project II courses at the Faculty of Education, Department of Pre-school Education of Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Turkey during the academic year 2018-2019. Twelve academic members of the Faculty of Education from six different universities assessed the projects. The data collection tool used was based on the research project assessment criteria of TUBITAK (Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey) along with the course’s learning outcomes and content, and the theoretical frame of the research topic. The results were analyzed based on the Many-Facet Rasch Model. According to the data obtained, it was found that the projects and project criteria differed in terms of consistency and generosity. It was also observed that the pre-service teachers met some of the criteria while they had difficulties with other criteria.