The ideas of geography teachers about in-service geography training activities

Abstract

The aim of the study is to evaluate the geography workshop (new approaches and new knowledge in geography), in view of the teachers, conducted within the in-service training activities for the geography teachers working in Sivas and Erzurum. The questionnaire, used as the data collection tool, was developed by the researcher. The questionnaire consists of three parts. In the first part of the questionnaire, the questions ask for the personal information. In the second part, there are nine questions asking for the reasons why the participants take part in the in-service training activities. In the same part, there are nine questions asking for the types of in-service training activities which the participants are willing to take part about geography teaching. In the last part of the questionnaire, there is an “evaluation form for in-service training activities” graded in three options Likert scale consisting of 14 questions. The recommendations of teachers and experts were taken into consideration in the preparation of the questionnaire. The Cronbach Alpha reliability rating of the questionnaire was found as 0.88. The frequency, percentage and arithmetical means of the data were evaluated. Chi-square test was conducted in order to find whether there was a meaningful relation between sex, the location in which the participants are living and the level of education of the participants in the in-service training activity. The findings of the study are as follows: Considering the in-service training activity conducted in cities of Sivas and Erzurum, the geography teachers were of the same idea that these activities consisted of the up-to-date topics and these activities were conducted in appropriate environments. The first three in-service training activities which the geography teachers were willing to take part with the highest demand were: applied field studies; the application of new teaching programme in geography; geographical information systems. Geography teachers were positive towards the in-service teaching activities. There was a meaningful relation between the location in which the geography teachers are living, their level of education, sex and their expectations from the in-service training activities.