Preschool Teachers’ Views on The Nature of Science and Nature of Scientific Inquiry

Yıl 2024, Cilt: 1 Sayı: 1, 1 - 17, 29.06.2024

Sevde Mıcık , Eda Erdaş Kartal , Atila Çağlar

Öz

This research’s aim is to examine the preschool teachers’ views about the nature of science (NOS) and the nature of scientific inquiry (NOSI). The research’s study group consists of 20 preschool teachers from different cities in Turkey. Volunteering was based on the participation of teachers in the study. Main data were collected with Opinions Questionnaire on the Nature of Science-Form C, and Scientific Inquiry Opinion Form. Parallel to the questionnaires used in the research, semi-structured interviews were conducted with the participants. Data collected through questionnaires and interviews were analyzed descriptive analysis method. Data were analyzed holistically. It has also been concluded that preschool teachers' views on the NOS are generally naive or mixed. It has been concluded that the themes with which the teachers had the naivest views were "empirical basis", "scientific laws and theories" and "observation, inference, and theoretical entities in science". It has been seen that teachers' views on the NOSI are generally informed level, but teachers cannot express their views in their own words and explain with examples. It was found that the themes with the most informed opinions were "multiple scientific methods" and "data and evidence" themes. When the findings were examined in general, it can be said that the preschool teachers’ views on the NOS and NOSI were not at the desired level.

Anahtar Kelimeler

nature of science, nature of scientific inquiry, preschool education, preschool teachers

Okul Öncesi Öğretmenlerinin Bilimin Doğası ve Bilimsel Sorgulamanın Doğası Hakkındaki Görüşlerinin İncelenmesi

Öz

Bu çalışmanın amacı bilimin doğası ve bilimsel sorgulamanın doğası hakkında okul öncesi öğretmenlerinin görüşlerinin incelenmesidir. Araştırmanın örneklemini Türkiye’nin farklı şehirlerinde olan 20 okul öncesi öğretmeni oluşturmaktadır. Öğretmenlerin çalışmaya katılmalarında gönüllük esas alınmıştır. Verilerin toplanmasında kişisel bilgi formu, Bilimin Doğası Üzerine Görüşler Anketi-Form C (VNOS-C) ve Bilimsel Sorgulamaya İlişkin Görüş Formu (VASI)’ndan yararlanılmıştır. Araştırmada kullanılan açık uçlu anketlere paralel olarak katılımcılarla yarı yapılandırılmış görüşmeler gerçekleştirilmiştir. Anketler ve görüşmeler aracılığıyla toplanan veriler betimsel analiz yöntemi kullanılarak bütüncül bir şekilde analiz edilmiştir. Okul öncesi öğretmenlerinin bilimin doğasıyla ilgili görüşlerinin genellikle naif veya karmaşık olduğu sonucuna ulaşılmıştır. Öğretmenlerin en fazla naif görüşe sahip oldukları temaların “deneysellik”, “bilimsel teori ve kanunlar’ ve ‘bilimde gözlem çıkarım ve teorik kabuller’ olduğu görülmüştür. Bilimsel sorgulamanın doğasıyla ilgili öğretmen görüşlerinin ise genellikle bilgili düzeyde olduğu fakat öğretmenlerin görüşlerini kendi cümlelerini ile ifade edip örneklerle açıklayamadıkları ortaya koyulmuştur. En fazla bilgili görüşe sahip olunan temaların ise “çoklu bilimsel yöntemler” ve “veri ve delil” temaları olduğu bulgusuna ulaşılmıştır. Genel olarak bulgular incelendiğinde okul öncesi öğretmenlerinin bilimin doğası ve bilimsel sorgulamanın doğası konularındaki görüşlerinin istenilen düzeyde olmadığı söylenebilir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

bilimin doğası, bilimsel sorgulamanın doğası, okul öncesi eğitimi, okul öncesi öğretmenleri

Etik Beyan

Ethics committee approval is required within the scope of the “Higher Education Institutions Scientific Research and Publication Ethics Directive,” and all the rules stated to be followed were followed. In the meeting on 04.05.2020 numbered 36 of the Social and Human Sciences Research and Publication Ethics Committee of Kastamonu University was found to comply with the ethical principles.

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