An Investigation of the Relationship between Performance in the Problem-solving Laboratory Applications and Views about Nature of Science of Pre-service Science Teachers

Abstract

Teacher education programs have met with limited success in improving teachers’ understanding of the nature of science (NOS). Research suggests that such efforts could be enhanced by addressing NOS in pre-service teachers’ science courses (Hanuscin, Akerson, & Phillipson-Mower, 2006).). In the extent of the study it has been aimed to search, a) students’ views about nature of science, b) the effect of problem solving applications in the science laboratory on 40 pre-service science teachers’ knowledge and their perceptions about nature of science. In the study, Evaluation Form of Problem Solving Skills (EFPSS), Evaluation Form of Student Reports (EFSR), The Beliefs about Science and School Science Questionnaire (BASSSQ) and Views of Nature of Science Questionnaire (VNOS-C) have been used as data collection tools. The knowledge of the students about the Nature of Science was determined by evaluating the answers of the students to BASSSQ subsequent to the problem-solving implementations within the context of science laboratory.