Pre-service Science Teachers’ Perceptions About Relationship Between Religion And Science İn The Context Of Their Worldviews

Abstract

Article History: Received 16.01.2016 Received in revised form 01.03.2016 Accepted 16.03.2016 Available online 10.07.2016 The academic and public interest in perceptions with regard to the relationship between science and religion had been steadily grown in recent years. That interest caused the possible rise of related issues for teachers in their science classes such as compatibility/incompatibility of religious and scientific worldviews and the impact of religious worldviews on perceptions of science. For Islam, those issues are seen to be responded positively and the relationship between science and Islam is thought within the perspectives of harmony or dialog. However, the issue of the relationship between Islam and science is not adequately held in Turkish literature, especially the perceptions of science teachers and candidates, and the need for empirical data is seen obvious. In this study, in order to overcome that lack of empirical data, the perspectives of 32 Turkish pre-service science teachers with regard to the relationship between Islam and science in the context of their worldviews were questioned. The data source of the study was a questionnaire that comprised of nine open ended questions which were analyzed qualitatively. In the analysis process, the perceptions of the participants about the relationship between Islam and science were categorized with the help of Barbour’s model. The results of study revealed that the participants mainly have religious worldviews, define science as inquiry, researching answers and Islam as providing meaning for life, guiding society. Their perspectives with regard to the relationship between Islam and science were seen as either being in harmony or integration. © 2016 IOJES. All rights reserved