Abstract
The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of teaching technologies and material development course taught through Moodle based online argumentation implementation on critical thinking disposition of third year science teacher candidates. The study was carried out with a total of 43 students consisting of an experimental group of 22 and a control group of 21 students studying at the Department of Science Education at a State University Faculty of Education in the fall term of 2014-15 academic years. Sequential explanatory design was used as a mixed method strategy in this research. A quasi-experimental pre-test/post-test non-equivalent control group design was used in the quantitative part of the study. A case study research design was used in the qualitative part of the study. California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory was used as data collection tool. In addition, an open-ended interview questions form was used to define opinions of science teacher candidates about the method applied in the course. Independent samples t-test and paired samples t-test were used in the analysis of quantitative data. Descriptive analysis was used to analyse qualitative data. At the end of the research, while a statistically significant difference in critical thinking dispositions of teacher candidates was observed in favour of post-test results of the experimental group, no statistically significant difference was observed in the control group. When the opinions of teacher candidates on the subject were investigated, it was found that the teacher candidates strongly supported the elimination of internet connection problems to improve the course.
Highlights
The changing and improving life conditions with the developments in the information age have brought forth the demand in all fields of life and especially in the business world for people who constantly improve themselves and solve the problems they encounter
The study was conducted with a total of 43 students consisting of an experimental group of 22 and a control group of 21 students studying at the Department of Science Education for Elementary Schools at a State University Faculty of Education in the fall term of 2014-15 academic years
When the pre-test points were analysed, while no statistically significant difference was identified between the experimental and control groups teacher candidates’ points [t(41)= .42 p>.05], a statistically significant difference was identified between their post-test points[t(41)= 2.69 p
Summary
The changing and improving life conditions with the developments in the information age have brought forth the demand in all fields of life and especially in the business world for people who constantly improve themselves and solve the problems they encounter. Exact solutions for problems are reached at in the light of accurate and valid information. When this fact is considered it can be said that the embracement of relevant and irrelevant, accurate and inaccurate information by the society without questioning obstructs the emergence of this demanded profile. Paul (1992), well known for his work on critical thinking, defines critical thinking as thinking on the process of thinking while doing it to improve one’s own thinking and indicates there are two quite important things in his definition. He explains them as follows (FCT [Foundation for Critical Thinking], 1992)
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