Turkish Science Teachers Research Articles

Science teachers’ conceptual perspectives on scientific experiments: a metaphorical representation

ABSTRACT Background Despite the valuable learning opportunities experimentation offers, it poses significant challenges for teachers and learners. The effectiveness of instructional scaffolding in students’ experiments is intricately linked to science teachers’ conceptual foundations and practical abilities to impart science concepts and epistemic practices. Purpose Considering their metaphorical representations, this research unveiled science teachers’ imaginations regarding core epistemic practical work, specifically scientific experiments. Methods The present study engaged 340 Turkish science teachers. The participants used a metaphor imagination task to express their perceptions of scientific experiments. Results The study identified metaphorical conceptualizations organized around structural themes (action, tool, and place). This indicates that the participants perceived the generation of scientific knowledge through experiments as a dynamic process akin to science-as-activity. Furthermore, three predominant conceptual orientations were highlighted: hypothesis testing, knowledge production, and discovery. Teachers viewed scientific experiments as avenues for knowledge generation through discovery, with hypothesis testing playing a significant role. Conclusion The findings suggest that the metaphors conveyed a science-as-logic and science-as-theory perspective rather than a science-as-practice understanding. The study advocates for reconsidering and redesigning teacher training programs to instill the understanding that scientific experiments extend beyond isolated activities. These developmental programs should stress that experimenting is an epistemic activity involving collaborative knowledge generation within social, cultural, contextual, and institutional contexts.

Turkish Science Teachers’ Views on Nature of Science: Curriculum and Implementation

Turkish Science Teachers’ Views on Nature of Science: Curriculum and Implementation

Investigation of Turkish Science Teachers' Perceptions and Competencies Towards Multicultural Education

The purpose of this study is to examine the perceptions and competencies of secondary school science teachers in Turkey regarding multicultural education. The study was conducted with the explanatory design of mixed methods. Quantitative data were collected with the Multicultural Competence Perceptions Scale and the Multicultural Education Perceptions Scale to determine science teachers' perceptions and competencies regarding multicultural education, and 204 science teachers with different demographic characteristics participated in the study. According to the analysis, science teachers who were older in terms of age and experience had higher perceptions of multicultural education and competencies than other teachers. In addition, the findings suggest that as teachers gain knowledge about multicultural education, their competencies related to multicultural education can be supported.

Attitude Toward Physics Teaching of Science Teachers: A Revised Scale and Analysis

The first aim of the study was to apply the revised version of the Dimensions of Attitudes toward Science Scale, namely Dimension of Attitudes toward Physics Teaching Scale (DAPT) with a sample consisting of 207 in-service science teachers in Turkey. The second was to determine the percentage distributions of in-service science teachers’ attitudes toward physics teaching in the confirmed seven sub-dimensions. The DAPT is a valid and reliable scale to measure Turkish science teachers’ attitudes toward physics teaching. Most of the teachers acknowledge the importance of physics subjects in science lessons and believe that they have self-efficacy in teaching physics subjects. Although a large number of participant teachers were female, they were not against gender stereotyping in their attitude towards physics teaching in science courses.

Evaluation of STEM Education by Turkish Science Teachers

STEM education has been adopted all around the world to educate individuals that meet the requirements of the changing workforce. Currently, efforts to integrate STEM education into mainstream education are being made in Turkey as well, and it is critical to review them. Therefore, the aim of the current study is to obtain an evaluation of the developing STEM education in Turkey by science teachers. For this purpose, the surveying method, one of the quantitative research methods, was used. 128 science teachers working in Diyarbakır province participated in the study. The “Criteria for Quality STEM” scale, adapted to Turkish by the researchers, was used as the data collection tool in the study. Based on the results, it was concluded that young teachers have higher score averages in improving relations between school, society and business world. It was also found that teachers who practice STEM in science education by spreading them over a period of time have higher averages in terms of creating a STEM culture and climate and establishing the connection between school, society and business world. It was determined that teachers who read academic studies have higher averages in integration of academic knowledge and providing school, community and cooperation compared to those who do not. It was determined that the teachers who previously took part in projects related to STEM education have higher averages in creating the STEM culture and climate in schools. In the light of these results, it is suggested that future research is needed to help science teachers learn how to implement STEM education in their classes so that they can use it effectively and successfully.

Predicting Science Engagement with Motivation and Teacher Characteristics: a Multilevel Investigation

The purpose of this study was to investigate the student and teacher-level predictors of Turkish middle school students’ engagement in science classes. Students’ engagement was examined in terms of agentic, behavioral, cognitive, and emotional engagement. The participants of the study were 134 Turkish science teachers and their 3394 grade 7 students. Separate multilevel models were specified for each dimension of students’ science engagement. Results of the HLM analyses indicated that dimensions of students’ science engagement were significantly predicted mostly by the student-level variables including science self-efficacy, mastery approach and avoidance goals, and performance approach goals. Teacher-level variables were influential only on the cognitive and emotional engagement. There were also cross-level interactions in predicting science engagement. Results were discussed in the light of related literature.

The Views of Turkish Science Teachers About Gender Equity within Science Education

The aim of this study was to investigate Turkish Science teachers' views about gender equity in the scope of Science education. This study was conducted with quantitative methodology. Within this scope, a 35-item 5-point Likert scale survey was developed to determine Science teachers' views concerning gender equity issues. 160 Turkish Science teachers completed the survey. Their reponses were analysed using SPSS. It was revealed that many Turkish Science teachers did not think there was any gender equity in Science teaching programmes or their science textbooks. These science teachers' views also indicated that there were no gender policies in Turkish science education. They believed gender equity issues were important for students' science achievement. It is recommended that Science teachers have some in-service training on gender equity.

Reformed Teaching and Learning in Science Education: A Comparative Study of Turkish and US Teachers

Achievements of educational reform advantage constructivist understandings of teaching and learning, and therefore highlight a shift in beliefs of teachers and apply these perceptions to the real world. Science teachers’ beliefs have been crucial in understanding and reforming science education as beliefs of teachers regarding learning and teaching science impact their practice. The purpose of this study was to compare US and Turkish science teachers’ beliefs about reformed learning and teaching science. As an instrument, we used Beliefs about Reformed Science Teaching and Learning (BARSTL) to collect and measure the teachers’ beliefs regarding teaching and learning science education. We used an independent-sample t-test to analyze Turkish and American science teachers’ beliefs about reformed learning and teaching science. In total, 38 science teachers from the US and 27 science teachers from Turkey participated in this study. Results showed that US science teachers’ beliefs about reformed learning and teaching science are statistically higher than Turkish science teachers. The results of this study also indicated that although American and Turkish science education aim similar constructivist views on learning and teaching science, American science teachers hold more reformed beliefs in science teaching and learning than their Turkish colleagues.

Turkish Science Teachers’ Use of Educational Research and Resources

Background:Research results demonstrate that there is a gap between educational research and practice. Turkey is not an exception in this case.Materials and methods:This study aims to examine to what extent and how educational research and resources are being followed, understood and used in classroom practices by science teachers in Turkey. A sample of 968 science teachers working at junior high schools in Eastern Anatolia region of Turkey was surveyed. The data were collected through a questionnaire consisting of multiple-choice and open-ended questions.Results:The results indicate that the most common sources of information used by teachers to follow educational research are “internet”; “radio”, “television” and “newspapers”; “scientific magazine journals”; and “educational books” respectively. In contrast, the least followed sources of information used by teachers are “educational symposiums, conferences and workshops”, and “educational scientific journals” and “dissertations”.Conclusions:18.7% of science teachers stated that they could understand scientific educational research. Science teachers’ level of applying the educational research results into practice was found as 5.7 %.

The Effect of Gender and Professional Development in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) on Science Teachers’ Use of Classroom Practices

The purpose of this study was to investigate effect of gender and perceived professional development in ICT skills on science teachers’ use of traditional and alternative classroom practices. The data was obtained from the Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) conducted by the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD). Specifically, this research was focused on Turkish science teachers (n=308). The data was analyzed through Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA). The findings indicated that female teachers use traditional classroom practices significantly much more than male teachers. Moreover, science teachers who no need any professional development in ICT skills had significantly higher mean score on alternative classroom practices than science teachers who high need for professional development in ICT skills. The implications based on the findings were discussed.

SCIENCE TEACHERS’ BELIEFS AS BARRIERS TO IMPLEMENTATION OF CONSTRUCTIVIST-BASED EDUCATION REFORM

A new Science and Technology program had been applied in Turkey since 2005. Constructivism has been the predominant influence on the program. Accordingly, science teachers are expected to have beliefs that are consistent with constructivism. However, the question of “what are the Turkish science teachers’ beliefs” is important because, the success of the program is dependent upon the teachers’ beliefs. This paper reports on the investigation of the science teachers’ beliefs about teaching science, learning science and managing behavior problems and any relationships among these belief systems. Data were collected through interviews with 18 science teachers. Results indicated that most of the science teachers held transitive beliefs about teaching science, and traditional beliefs about learning science and managing behavior problems. While teachers with 1-10 years experiences held a constructivist belief, this belief gave way to traditional belief as the teaching experience advanced. Beliefs of teachers were both interrelated and nested. Key words: classroom management, constructivism, learning science, teacher beliefs, teaching science.

Bridging the gap: needs assessment of science teacher in‐service education in Turkey and the effects of teacher and school demographics

Turkish science teachers' in‐service needs and the effects of teacher and school demographic variables on these needs are examined in this study. In addition, major barriers that prevented science teachers from attending in‐service programmes are investigated. The data for the research were gathered through a survey. This study shows that Turkish science teachers require more instructional materials, laboratory equipment, computers, and software and need in‐service education to integrate these instructional facilities into their lessons. This study also indicates that teacher and school demographic variables have little significance in predicting science teachers' needs.

An international comparison of the science education priorities of science teachers, lecturers and students in two developing countries: Turkey and Lesotho

Lesotho and Turkey are two developing countries, both relatively deficient in educational resources B one in Southern Africa, and the other straddling the continents of Europe and Asia in the Middle East. This study reports and compares the priorities and responses of (a) 172 Turkish science teachers, lecturers and students, and (b) 171 Lesotho science educators and students, to 20 literature-derived recommendations for improving science education in the two countries. Both quantitative and qualitative survey data are analysed. The educational outcomes of the study are commonly identified areas of future concentration and corresponding sets of recommendations for science teacher-training curricula in these two developing nations. In both Turkey and Lesotho the most frequently prioritised recommendations are found to be similar. They are: to engage more self-discovery in science learning; to introduce more real life skills into science teaching; to utilise better science teaching methods; and to acquire more resources for science and technology lessons. South African Journal of Higher Education Vol.17(2) 2003: 187-196