Pre-service Primary Science Research Articles

Do Science and Technology Teachers and Pre-Service Primary Teachers Have Different Thoughts about Concept Maps in Science and Technology Lessons?.

The purpose of this study is to determine the thoughts of primary science and technology teachers, primary class teachers, pre-service primary class teachers and pre-service primary science and technology teachers’ about concept maps. This scale applied the use of basic and random method on the chosen 125 4th and 5th grade primary class teachers who had science and technology courses and primary science and technology teachers from 14 primary schools in Afyonkarahisar. Also, the scale was applied to 150 2nd grade pre-service primary class teachers and 30 1st grade pre-service primary science and technology teachers in a Department of Primary Education from Mustafa Kemal University in Turkey. The general scanning model was used in this study, while t-test, one way ANOVA test, frequency and percentage values were calculated. However, analysis of the qualitative data was done by content analysis. As a result of the research findings obtained in the framework, teachers’ and pre-service teachers’ attitudes towards the use of concept maps is identified as positive. According to gender and class levels, which are independent variables, there are no significant differences of pre-service teachers’ towards using concept maps. According to the branch and seniority, there are important significant differences of teachers’ attitudes towards using concept maps. As a result of the findings from researches, some suggestions are presented. Key words: Concept maps, science and technology, teachers’ and pre-service teachers’ attitudes, pre-service primary class teachers, pre-service primary science and technology teachers.

Employing Analogies and Models to Engender Conceptual Change in Science Amongst Pre-service Primary School Teachers in Fiji

In this work, we report the use of analogies and models in the training of Fiji pre-service primary school science teachers. The rationale for the study was to evaluate how well this form of pedagogy, developed in a Western context, would transfer to a different cultural setting. An intervention involving extensive use of physical and diagrammatic analogies and physical models was found to improve students' conceptual understanding of fundamental concepts relating to, matter and how it changes. Post-intervention interviews revealed clearer understanding and some participants linked their improved understanding directly to the use of specific analogies and models used in the intervention. The implications of the research for the training of pre-service primary teachers in Fiji are discussed.