PRESERVICE TEACHERS' PERCEPTIONS OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SCIENCE AND PEACE

Abstract

Raising young people aware of the need for science for peace is only possible with modern education that is based on science and enriches science with elements of peace. Accordingly, determination of perceptions of preservice teachers, who will bear the greatest responsibility in raising individuals, about the relationship between science and peace is of great importance. The aim of this research was to develop a valid and reliable scale to measure preservice teachers' perceptions of the relationship between science and peace. A total of 253 preservice teachers, including 88 from the department of science teaching, 87 from the department of mathematics teaching and 78 from the department of primary school teaching, who were in their 4th year in the education faculty of Kocaeli University, Turkey, during the spring term of the academic year 2014-15, were recruited for this study. As a result of the factor analysis, Cronbach’s alpha (á) reliability coefficient of the scale, consisting of four factors, including 'Communication and Intercultural Dialogue' (6 items), "Technological Developments' (6 items), 'Socio-Economic Developments' (7 items) and' Peace Education' (7 items), and 26 items, was found to be .93. The Scale for Perception of the Relationship between Science and Peace (SPSP) is the first unique scale developed to determine preservice teachers’ perception of the relationship between science and peace. Key words: science and peace, perceptions of preservice teachers, scale development.