An investigation of prospective science teachers' socio-scientific argumentation processes in terms of metacognition: A causal-comparative study

Ayşe Öztürk

doi:10.14527/pegegog.2017.020

Abstract

This study attempts to investigate through causal-comparative research whether socio-scientific argumentation processes of prospective science teachers (PSTs) who had high and low socio-scientific argumentation skills differed from each other in terms of metacognition. The research was conducted with a total of 45 PSTs, 24of whom had high socio-scientific argumentation skills, and 21 had low socio-scientific argumentation skills. Data were gathered using qualitative and quantitative methods. Research results indicated that the PSTs with high socio-scientific argumentation skills displayed more metacognitive behaviors when compared to the PSTs with low socio-scientific argumentation skills and that they used more metacognitive strategies with regard to many components such as planning, decision-making, evaluation, monitoring, and organizing. Furthermore, a statistically significant difference was detected between the scores of the PSTs' metacognitive awareness skills in favor of the PSTs with high socio-scientific argumentation skills. These results demonstrated that the two groups with different socio-scientific argumentation skills differed from each other in terms of metacognition and that the PSTs with high socio-scientific argumentation skills were better in regard with metacognition.

Highlights

Socio-scientific issues refer to social dilemmas and debates which emerge in parallel with the advancements in science and technology and convey ethical and moral meanings at the core (Sadler & Zeidler, 2005a)
This study was designed as causal-comparative research which targeted at investigating whether metacognition was effective in the prospective science teachers (PSTs)’ using high or low socio-scientific argumentation skills
It was attempted to determine whether the groups with different socio-scientific argumentation skills differed according to metacognitive skills and whether metacognition was an effective factor in this process

Summary

28 Haziran 2017

Anahtar Kelimeler: Bilişsel farkındalık, Fen ve teknoloji eğitimi, Sosyobilimsel konular, Argümantasyon becerisi, Öğretmen eğitimi. Yüksek ve düşük sosyobilimsel argümantasyon becerisine sahip fen bilgisi öğretmen (FBÖ) adaylarının sosyobilimsel argümantasyon süreçlerinin bilişsel farkındalık açısından farklılık gösterip göstermediği nedensel karşılaştırma araştırması yapılarak incelenmiştir. Araştırma 24’ü yüksek 21’si düşük sosyobilimsel argümantasyon becerisine sahip toplam 45 FBÖ adayı üzerinde yürütülmüştür. FBÖ adaylarının bilişsel farkındalık beceri puanları arasında yüksek sosyobilimsel argümantasyon becerisine sahip FBÖ adaylarının lehine istatistiksel olarak anlamlı bir fark olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Sosyobilimsel argümantasyon becerisi olarak farklılaşan bu iki grubun bilişsel farkındalık açısından da farklılaştığını ve yüksek sosyobilimsel argümantasyon becerili FBÖ adaylarının bilişsel farkındalık açısından daha iyi olduklarını göstermiştir

Introduction

Method

Participants

Results