Thematic Review of Studies about Preschool Astronomy Education in Turkey1

Abstract

This study aimed to examine thematically the articles and dissertations made in Turkey about preschool astronomy education. In the research, a descriptive study was conducted, and the survey model was used. The study covered researches of preschool astronomy education that can be accessed in the national databases. Studies in analyzing data were; the type of publication, the distribution of the studies according to the years and the indexes in which they are included, the keywords used, the subject/concept of astronomy, the purpose of the studies, and the distribution according to the provinces, the methodologies used in the studies, the basic results achieved in the studies and the suggestions. The studies were first coded separately by researchers, and the reliability of the coding was ensured by forming a common opinion. As a result, most of the studies determined were articles of the year 2015 and above, and these studies are generally published in ULAKBIM indexed journals. Most repetitive keywords in research; preschool, astronomy, and mental model. The concept of astronomy focuses on studies of the Sun, Earth, and Moon. The studies mostly aimed to reveal the students' level of knowledge, misconceptions, and mental models related to basic astronomy concepts. The most preferred research method in the studies was the qualitative paradigm; the most preferred research designs were case studies and survey models. The researches were mostly carried out with the children in preschool age and the provinces of Balıkesir and Trabzon with samples smaller than 100 people. In most of the studies, interviews, drawings, and observations were used as data collection tools, and the content analysis technique was used in the analysis of the data. The general results of the studies showed that the mental models of preschool children about astronomy consist of concrete concepts and the participants lack knowledge on astronomy. In the studies, suggestions were made to researchers and practices.