Journal of Science Learning
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Secondary School Students' Knowledge and Views on Laboratory Safety
Get PDFLaboratory studies are very important for science education but also involve various risks. It is possible to minimize these risks by providing a safe working environment. This study aims to determine the knowledge and views of secondary school students on laboratory safety and to identify their deficiencies in this regard. The survey method was used in the study. The study sample consists of 136 students from 6th, 7th, and 8th-grade students of a public secondary school in Kastamonu Province, Turkey. An open-ended questionnaire was used to determine the students' knowledge and views on the subject, and the data obtained were analyzed by the content analysis method. As a result of the study, it was seen that although secondary school students have some general information about laboratory safety, they have deficiencies in terms of most of the information. It was determined that students do not know most of the behaviors that must/must not be made in the laboratory, and they are not aware of some of the safety symbols in the science textbooks. In addition, most of the students stated that they don't feel competent about laboratory safety and need training on this subject
Effect on Academic Achievement and Misconceptions of Pre-service Teachers through Combining Different Teaching Methods in a Preschool Science Course
Get PDFThis study aimed to investigate the effects of different active teaching techniques on pre-school student teachers' concept learning and academic achievement. The study group consisted of 46 third year pre-school student teachers in a public university. Different active teaching methods were used during the single term Science Course, a compulsory course in the Preschool Programme. The treatment process took ten weeks in total (4 hours per week). The study had both qualitative and quantitative data. The quantitative data were collected using a three-tiered science concepts test, and qualitative data were collected through observation by the researcher. The alpha Cronbach values calculated for the test's reliability were 0.642 for Success-1 (S1) and 0.52 for Misconception-3 (MC3) scores. A dependent t-test was used to compare the pre and post-test scores of the pre-school student teachers. The researcher took observation notes during the in-class teaching exercises. The findings revealed that there were significant differences between the student teachers' pre and post-test scores. They understood science concepts significantly better by the end of the course. It is concluded that combining different teaching methods enhances science concept understanding among student teachers. In addition, misconceptions decreased after instruction
Analysis of Pre-Service Science Teachers’ Heuristic Reasoning Processes about Hydrogen Bonding
Get PDFThe purpose of this research was to determine the heuristics used by pre-service science teachers in understanding the details of hydrogen bonding. The reasoning processes demonstrated were evaluated based on ten heuristic models suggested by Talanquer (2014). Phenomenographic assessment of the 30 participants indicated that all ten heuristics were utilized to make interpretations about hydrogen bonding. It was found that most students used short-cut strategies rather than efficient analytical reasoning processes. A total of 12 answer patterns were determined based on the answers of the participants. The percentage of students who gave the correct answer was low. The frequency sequencing of participants' heuristics demonstrated in this study was fluency, associative activation, recognition, one-reason decision making, attribute substitution, overconfidence, surface similarity, generalization, rigidity, and affect
An Investigation on the Effect of STEM Practices on Sixth Grade Students’ Academic Achievement, Problem Solving Skills, and Attitudes towards STEM
Get PDFThis study aims to identify the effect of STEM practices, integrated into Science courses in 6th grades of middle schools, on students' academic achievement, problem-solving skills, their attitudes towards STEM, and their interest level of STEM fields. The population of the study consists of 6th-grade students enrolled in a middles school in the 2018-2019 academic year. During the research, Academic Achievement Test, STEM Attitude Scale, STEM Career Interest Survey, and Problem Solving Inventory were applied to experimental and control groups as pre and post-tests by quasi-experimental research design. In data analysis, a statistics package program was used. Results of the study showed that the Academic Achievement Test scores of experimental groups that received STEM practices were seen to be higher than that of the control group to which the constructivist approach was applied. The difference was observed to be meaningful. Also, when the post-test scores of the STEM Attitude Scale, STEM Career Interest Survey, and Problem Solving Inventory were compared, a meaningful difference was found between the experimental and control group
Using the Word Association Test to Examine Life Skills Cognitive Structures of Pre-Service Science Teachers
Get PDFScience teachers, while teaching their students the science concepts, should also be teaching life skills. To ensure that future science teachers are competent to teach these skills, it can help assess the cognitive structures they hold as pre-service teachers. The current study aimed to reveal the cognitive structures and conceptual knowledge status of pre-service science teachers related to life skills. The participants were 165 pre-service teachers studying at the Department of Elementary Science Education at a public university in Turkey. A word association test (WAT) using six keywords (Communication, teamwork, entrepreneurship, creativity, decision making, analytical thinking) about life skills was developed. The gathered data was analyzed with the interslice distance technique and a descriptive analysis method. The results suggest that pre-service science teachers do not have the cognitive structures to produce enough answer words about life skills. It is suggested that elective undergraduate courses that allow students to recognize and internalize these skills can be introduced or increased in pre-service teaching programs
Investigating Turkish Pre-service Science Teachers’ Moral Reasoning in Genetics related Socioscientific Issues
Get PDFIn this study, Turkish pre-service science teachers' moral reasoning patterns and the factors which influence their decisions while discussing genetics-related socio-scientific issues (SSI) were investigated. A basic qualitative approach was adopted for this purpose. Seven third-grade pre-service science teachers enrolled in the study. Semi-structured interviews for different genetics related SSI were conducted. The results revealed that decisions were generally based on the consequences of genetic applications (consequentialist) or based on moral principles or prescripts (principle-based). Most participants used consequence-based moral reasoning in their decisions, while principle-based moral reasoning was less used. They also used emotion-based moral reasoning. Their decisions were influenced by emotions, including empathy or sympathy toward the characters, or the unborn baby, in the scenarios. Additional and varied factors, including legal, ethical, economic, and technological concerns, were revealed as influential. Participants' decisions were also shaped by their own experiences, media resources, and faith in science. The implications for science teacher education programs are discussed
Discovery Learning with the Solar System Scope Application to Enhance Learning in Middle School Students
Get PDFIn education, “Industrial Revolution 4.0” refers to utilizing technology to present students with complex situations that will develop their critical thinking and problem-solving skills. The use of technology in the science curriculum should be designed according to established learning models. This study aimed to investigate the effect of implementing a discovery learning model, supported by the Solar System Scope computer application, on the ability of students to master essential concepts. This research used a One-Group Pre-test-Post-test design. Participants were 31 7th-grade students at one school in Bandung, Indonesia. The results showed a medium enhancement of concept mastery in students from pre-test to post-test (N-Gain=0.48). No gender difference in outcomes after the implementation of discovery learning with the Solar System Scope application was found. Based on these results, discovery learning supported by the Solar System Scope application could be an alternative teaching approach to enhance students' skills in mastering concepts
An Analysis of the Relationship between Students’ Scientific Attitude and Students’ Learning Style in Junior High School
Get PDFThe objectives of this study were to profile the relationship of scientific attitude level and learning style preference among junior high school students in Bandung. This study utilized a survey research design with a total sample size of 110 students. A scientific attitude questionnaire and a visual, auditory, and kinesthetic (VAK) learning style inventory were administered in this study. The questionnaire measures five aspects of scientific attitude, specifically rationality, curiosity, open-mindedness, aversion to superstition, and objectivity. The VAK learning style inventory evaluates the preferred means of receiving sensory information. The scientific attitude questionnaire provided consistent results, as indicated by its reliability coefficient (0.896). The results show that junior high school students have an average level of scientific attitude and generally prefer a kinesthetic learning style. There was a medium relationship between scientific attitude and learning style among the students (Cramer’s V coefficient = 0.239). It is concluded that learning style must be considered in implementing a science lesson, especially in the Indonesian context
The Correlation Between Social Media Usage in Academic Context and Self-Efficacy Towards TPACK of Prospective Science Teachers in Indonesia
Get PDFThe purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between the frequency of Social Media Usage (SMU) in an academic setting and Self-efficacy beliefs towards TK, TCK, TPK, and TPACK of Indonesian prospective science teachers. This research is quantitative based-research design using a self-administered survey. The research was conducted during the second semester of the academic year 2018/2019 from October to November 2018 in the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Science of a State University located in Semarang City, Indonesia. The sample consists of 217 Indonesian prospective science teachers from the science and Biology Education Department. The result shows that the average Social Media Usage frequency has a statistically high correlation with TK Self-efficacy, TPK, and TPACK. However, in general, it does not correlate with TCK. Second, Social Media Usage for Download Media (DM), Searching Information (SI), and Entertainment and Motivation (EM) generally have a statistically medium correlation with TK, TPK, and TPACK for both male and female participants. Third, Social Media Usage for professional development (PD) has a medium correlation with TK and high correlation with TPK and TPACK. This study implies that training focuses on the application of social media in teaching, and learning should be integrated to improve Indonesian Prospective Science Teachers' TPACK
Prospective Physics and Science Teachers' Mental Models about the Concept of Work
Get PDFWork, as a concept, is often encountered in daily life, but the meaning of work in physics is closely related to power, force, and energy. Studies made about various concepts and subjects have proved that using words in ways different from their scientific meanings has a negative effect on teaching, and causes conceptual complexities and/or generation of alternative mental models. This study aimed to determine the mental models of prospective physics and science teachers about the concept of work. This study was conducted with the participation of 107 prospective teachers in the Physics and Science Teacher Training program. The trainee teachers' understandings were determined by using an achievement test, consisting of three open-ended questions, developed by the researchers. Data obtained were first analyzed according to the level of understanding demonstrated, and then the mental models were determined by using these levels. Four types of mental models about work were identified, specifically the scientific,, the scientific synthesis, the initial synthesis, and the initial models. The synthesis model is the dominant mental model, and it has been developed by prospective teachers from two disciplines