Examination of Attitudes, Views and Skills of Early Childhood Education Teacher Candidates on Science Education

Abstract

The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between scientific process skills, attitudes toward science and science teaching and to uncover third and fourth class early childhood education (ECE) teacher candidates’ views on science teaching. Mixed method research design was used in this study. Both of the quantitative and qualitative data was collected from the participants. The findings of the study showed that ECE teacher candidates’ scientific process skills were at the medium level and their attitudes toward science and science teaching were positive. There was a significant difference at their scientific process skills and attitudes toward science teaching according to the high school they graduated from. The scientific process skills variable was a moderator and partly accounted for the relationship between attitudes toward science and attitudes toward science teaching. Findings gathered from interviews indicated that the future ECE teachers could state which outcomes and methods/technics they could use in early childhood science education, but they couldn’t give comprehensive science activity examples.