Prospective Physics and Science Teachers' Mental Models about the Concept of Work

Work, 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

Fizik Öğretmen Adaylarının Yıldız Kavramına Dair Zihinsel Modelleri

The topic of stars and stellar has been recently included in new physics curriculum which has been improved in terms of the requirements of researches in education field. Future physics teachers’ knowledge about this topic reveals to be an important issue. In line with this, this study aims at determining pre-service physics teachers’ mental models about the concept of stars. The sample of the study consisted of 29 forth year and 27 fifth year pre-service physics teachers at a university in the Eastern Black Sea Region. The study’s data was collected with a questionnaire including four open-ended questions. The findings indicated that pre-service physics teachers generally have mental models which haven’t complied with scientific knowledge

EXAMINING OF TEACHERS' PRACTICES SUPPORTED BY MENTORING APPLICATIONS

The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of mentoring practices designed to support the implementation of the updated physics curriculum on teacher practices. To achieve this objective, a three-stage model utilizing a group mentoring approach was developed, consisting of Preparation (need assessment to identify current teacher status), Realization (mentoring practices addressing identified gaps in subject knowledge), and General Evaluation (assessment of the impact of mentoring practices on teacher practices before, during, and after the implementation process). The didactic engineering method was adopted, and three physics teachers were observed over a 16-week period using camera recordings. The observations were categorized according to physics-specific competencies, and the teachers' practices were analyzed accordingly. The findings indicate that the mentoring support had a positive impact on the teachers' development of didactic structure and student-centered approaches, with some regression observed after the cessation of mentoring. However, teachers' practices remained improved compared to their initial state. This study was limited to three volunteer physics teachers, but the results suggest that mentoring practices can be more effective in improving teachers' compliance with the curriculum in applied teacher education, and the study has practical implications for teacher training and professional development. The study contributes to the field by providing a different perspective on teacher training, emphasizing practical training and needs assessment over theoretical education

Fen Bilgisi Öğretmen Adaylarının Atom Kavramına İlişkin Algılarının Seviyeler Arası Karşılaştırmalı Analizi

The purpose of this study is to reveal the changes in the perceptions of prospective science teachers on the concept of atom in terms of their levels of education. In the scope of the study, a two-part word association test was developed as the data collection tool, and it was applied on a total of 194 prospective teachers who were studying in the degree program for science teaching. The data obtained from the first part of the test were analyzed and the concepts that the prospective teachers associated with the concept of atom were determined, and the way these varied based on class levels was analyzed. Using the data obtained by the second part of the test, the meanings of the sentences the participants formed in relation to the atom and related concepts and the way this nature changed based on class levels were analyzed. The finding that prospective teachers on different levels associated similar concepts with the atom and formed sentences that contained alternative concepts in a similar way, showed that the atom, which is a subject of teaching on different levels since the secondary schools, was not internalized in agreement with scientific knowledge by a significant proportion of the prospective science teachers. Additionally, the analyses showed that no significant change occurred in learning the atom and related concepts based on levels of education.Bu araştırmanın amacı fen bilgisi öğretmen adaylarının atom kavramına ilişkin algılarının, öğrenim düzeylerine göre değişimlerini ortaya koymaktır. Araştırmada veri toplama aracı olarak iki bölümden oluşan bir kelime ilişkilendirme testi geliştirilerek toplam 194 fen bilgisi öğretmen adayına uygulanmıştır. Testin ilk bölümünden elde edilen verilerin analizi yapılarak öğretmen adaylarının atom kavramını ilişkilendirdikleri kavramlar belirlenmiş ve bunların sınıf seviyesine göre nasıl farklılaştığı analiz edilmiştir. Testin ikinci bölümünden elde edilen veriler yardımıyla öğretmen adaylarının atom ve ilişkili kavramlarla ilgili kurdukları cümlelerin içerdiği anlamlar ile sınıf seviyelerine göre değişimi analiz edilmiştir. Farklı seviyelerdeki öğretmen adaylarının benzer kavramları atomla ilişkilendirmeleri ve benzer nitelikte alternatif kavramlar içeren cümleler kurmaları, ortaokul yıllarından itibaren farklı seviyelerde öğretim konusu olan atomun öğretmen adaylarının önemli bir bölümü tarafından bilimsel bilgilerle uyumlu şekilde içselleştirilmediğini göstermektedir. Ayrıca yapılan analizler, öğrenim seviyesine göre atom ve ilişkili kavramların öğreniminde not edilir nitelikte bir farklılaşmanın olmadığını göstermektedir

Physics Prospective Teachers’ Perception Levels Concerning Alternative Evaluations Methods

Alternatif ölçme değerlendirme yöntemlerinin öğretim koşulları ile sözkonusu yöntemlerin öğretmen adayları tarafından öğrenilme durumlarını tespit etmeyi amaçlayan bu çalışma 2006–2007 öğretim yılında KTÜ’den 38 Fizik öğretmen adayının katılımı ile gerçekleştirilmiştir. Çalışmanın amacına bağlı olarak öncelikle eğitim fakültelerinde ‘Öğretimde Planlama ve Değerlendirme’ dersi kapsamında kullanılan kaynak kitaplar incelenmiş, daha sonra araştırmacılar tarafından geliştirilen bir anket uygulanmış ve elde edilen veriler frekans ve yüzdelik değerlere göre analiz edilmiştir. Çalışma sonunda incelenen kaynak kitaplarda alternatif ölçme ve değerlendirme yöntemlerinin kullanımına yönelik açıklayıcı bilgilerin yeterli olmadığı ve öğretmen adaylarının düşüncelerinde geleneksel ölçme ve değerlendirme yaklaşımının yerini alternatif ölçme ve değerlendirme yaklaşımına bıraktığı ancak bu yöntemlerin kullanımı hakkında öğretmen adaylarının yeterli bilgiye sahip olmadıkları saptanmıştırThis study aims to determine on the one hand teaching conditions’ of alternative evaluation methods at the university level and on the other hand perception levels by prospective teachers’ of these methods. The research was conducted in Karadeniz Technical University with the participation of 38 student teachers. In this study firstly, hand-books used by the lecturer are analysed in order to reveal methods treated within class named “Planning and Evaluation in Teaching” and that student-teachers are supposed to know. A questionnaire developed by researchers has been used to determine studentteachers’ perceptions of these methods. Collected data are analysed by using frequency and percentile analysis methods. The study showed that hand-books’ explications related to alternative evaluation methods are unsatisfactory and although student-teachers have tendency to progressively substitute alternative evaluation methods for those traditional, they have still great difficulties for using alternative methods

EXAMINING CHEMISTRY TECAHRS’ REFLECTIVE JOURNALS DURING MENTORING PRACTİCES

The aim of this study is to determine the impact of mentorship program on professional development of the mentees. This study is guided by case study. The case, in this study, is each of four chemistry teachers who took part in mentorship program as mentees in order to better understand the mentorship program. The data collection tool employed in this study is the reflective journals kept by the mentees throughout the mentorship practice (for eight weeks). Participants filled out reflective journals for evaluation after they completed the lessons (material, lesson plan, etc.) they prepared in the group mentoring sessions held every week. These forms have five questions that might lead mentees to reflect on their implementation of the plans and their professional development in the course of the mentorship program. The data obtained suggest that the mentees had qualified reflections on their current practices as well as future practices. The mentors frequently noted in their weekly reflective journals form that the mentorship program has a positive impact on their teaching methods competencies while implementing the co-designed lessons plans. On the other hand, the most important problem that the mentees uttered is the need for extra time as they could not complete the activities within the planned time frame. In light of the findings, it can be deduced that the mentorship program has improved the professional practices of the mentees

Genotypic-phenotypic features and enzyme replacement therapy outcome in patients with mucopolysaccharidosis VI from Turkey

WOS: 000413425400010PubMed: 28884960Mucopolysaccharidosis type VI (MPS VI) is a lysosomal storage disorder (LSD) characterized by a chronic, progressive course with multiorgan involvement. In our study, clinical, biochemical, molecular findings, and response to enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) for at least 6 months were evaluated in 20 patients with MPS VI. Treatment effects on clinical findings such as liver and spleen sizes, cardiac and respiratory parameters, visual and auditory changes, joints' range of motions, endurance tests and changes in urinary glycosaminoglycan excretions, before and after ERT were analyzed. ERT caused increased physical endurance and decreased urinary dermatan sulfate/chondroitin sulfate ratios. Changes in growth parameters, cardiac, respiratory, visual, auditory findings, and joint mobility were not significant. All patients and parents reported out an increased quality of life, which were not correlated with clinical results. The most prevalent mutation was p.L321P, accounting for 58.8% of the mutant alleles and two novel mutations (p.G79E and p.E390K) were found. ERT was a safe but expensive treatment for MPS VI, with mild benefits in severely affected patients. Early treatment with ERT is mandatory before many organs and systems are involved