Survey of the science and primary school teachers candidates’ scientific attitudes in terms of multi-variables

Abstract

This study was aimed to examine the effects of variables on scientific attitudes of teacher candidates. For this purpose, science and primary school teacher candidates were included in terms of their scientific attitudes which were considered as being contradictory to each other’s attitudes and being purposive cases. Survey was a descriptive one in which science and primary school teacher candidates’ scientific attitudes were considered as a fact and during the study process. The sample group consists of randomly selected 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th primary school teacher candidates studying at the Department of Grade Teachers and Science Teachers at the Education Faculty of Ahi Evran University in 2009-2010 academic years. The data was collected by using three different methods. At the first stage, “Scientific Attitude Inventory” was used. At the second stage, “Learning Style Inventory” was used to assess the learning style of the teacher candidates. The transcript averages obtained from the Student Affairs Department indicating the academic achievements of the teacher candidates up to their current year were used at the third stage. According to the results of the research, it was found out that the scientific attitudes of the teacher candidates were significantly in favor of the science teachers according to gender, grade level at the university, high schools which they graduated from and their learning style (accomodator, converger and assimilator). However, when scientific attitudes were examined according to learning styles, the differences between the groups were observed to be statistically insignificant for the diverger learning styles.

This study was aimed to examine the effects of variables on scientific attitudes of teacher candidates. For this purpose, science and primary school teacher candidates were included in terms of their scientific attitudes which were considered as being contradictory to each other’s attitudes and being purposive cases. Survey was a descriptive one in which science and primary school teacher candidates’ scientific attitudes were considered as a fact and during the study process. The sample group consists of randomly selected 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th primary school teacher candidates studying at the Department of Grade Teachers and Science Teachers at the Education Faculty of Ahi Evran University in 2009-2010 academic years. The data was collected by using three different methods. At the first stage, “Scientific Attitude Inventory” was used. At the second stage, “Learning Style Inventory” was used to assess the learning style of the teacher candidates. The transcript averages obtained from the Student Affairs Department indicating the academic achievements of the teacher candidates up to their current year were used at the third stage. According to the results of the research, it was found out that the scientific attitudes of the teacher candidates were significantly in favor of the science teachers according to gender, grade level at the university, high schools which they graduated from and their learning style (accomodator, converger and assimilator). However, when scientific attitudes were examined according to learning styles, the differences between the groups were observed to be statistically insignificant for the diverger learning styles.