Determination of Prospective Preschool Teachers' Science Process Skills

Abstract

Aims of this research are to develop a valid and reliable science process skill test of Likert-type in order for determination of prospective preschool teachers' science process skills and herewith identify prospective teachers' science process skill levels. Draft scale was implemented on 141 3rd and 4th grade prospective teachers studying in Division of Preschool Education in Education Faculty of Afyon Kocatepe University during spring semester of 2013-2014 educational year, and was tested against validity and reliability. The test included 32 items. KR-20 (Kuder-Richardson 20) reliability coefficient of the scale was found .92. This test was then implemented on 138 3rd and 4th grade prospective teachers studying in Division of Preschool Education in Faculty of Education of Kutahya Dumlupinar University during spring semester of 2013-2014 educational year. Science process skills test included subdimensions of integrated process skills such as defining operationally (functionally), formulating hypothesis, identifying and checking variables, analyzing data, experimenting. At the end of the analyses, science process skill levels of prospective preschool teachers were found intermediate, while their scores from science process skills test, independent t-test and single factorial variance analyses (ANOVA) showed no significant difference. However science process skills of prospective preschool teachers were found in support of male prospective teachers when considered by gender, and in support of prospective teachers receiving evening education when considered by session type, and in support of graduates of Anatolian high school when considered by type of high school they graduated.