Prospective biology teachers’ research skills

Abstract

This study aims to determine the research skills (RS) of prospective biology teachers who are completing their final projects. A total of 83 students were involved as subjects in this study. A self-assessment sheet was used to evaluate the RS of prospective biology teachers from four participating universities. The self-assessment instrument for RS was adapted from Garg and Vitae which covers four domains, namely domain A (intellectual knowledge and abilities), domain B (personal effectiveness), domain C (research and organizational governance), and domain D (involvement, influence, and impact). A differential semantic scale from one (1) to nine (9) was used to measure the levels of RS domain of the respondents. The distribution of the research instrument was carried out for two months, from May 4 to June 21, 2020. Based on the study, it was found that domain A (knowledge and intellectual ability) is still weak with 35% while domain B (personal effectiveness) is the highest aspect of RS with a percentage of 49%. The College should design effective curriculum and learning design to improve intellectual knowledge and skills of prospective Biology teachers in conducting research.