Teaching Socio-scientific Issues Through Evidence-based Thinking Practices: Appropriateness, Benefits and Challenges of Using an Instructional Scaffold

Teachers are expected to improve their students’ analytical thinking and decision-making skills through evidence-based thinking and critical evaluation processes. In this study, a three-hour workshop was conducted to investigate science teachers’ views about teaching socio-scientific issues through argumentation and introducing an instructional scaffold, Model-Evidence Link diagrams to promote the use of argumentation and critical evaluation in science classrooms. 125 science teachers, who were working in public schools of an urban area in Turkey participated in the workshop. Findings revealed that 90% of the participants stated that the use of MEL diagram is appropriate for science teaching. Promoting higher order thinking skills was the highest benefit, whereas the need for time for the development and implementation of the material was the greatest challenge for the use of the MEL diagrams in science classrooms. This study contributes to the literature on teaching socio-scientific issues, especially through argumentation, evidence-based thinking, and critical evaluation

Teaching Orientations of Freshman Pre-service Science Teachers

The aim of this exploratory research is to understand teaching orientations of freshman pre-service science teachersand their rationales for those orientations. Through a mixed method, the current study collected quantitative(Pedagogy of Science Teaching Test) and qualitative(semi-structured interviews)data to deepen and analyze the research. The sample ofthe quantitative part in the study consisted of143 freshman pre-service science teachers (122 females and 21 males) purposefully drawn from a state university in Turkey. To understand theirrationalesoftheir teaching orientation preferences, semi-structured interviews were conducted with fourteen interviewees, who heldvarying science teaching orientations.The findings of this research showedthat the freshman pre-service science teachers hada variety of orientations that were not influenced by their earlier science learning experiences. Also, the results indicatedthat the orientations were largely related to the freshman pre-service science teachers‟ conceptions of „rolesof teachersand students, students‟gradesand nature of subject matter‟rather than their immediate experiences as learners. The current study recommends that theseconceptions shouldbe adressed in the teacher education programs with appropriate experiences that engage pre-service teachers to critical reflection throughout the teacher education program

Teaching Orientations of Freshman Pre-service Science Teachers

The aim of this exploratory research is to understand teaching orientations of freshman pre-service science teachersand their rationales for those orientations. Through a mixed method, the current study collected quantitative(Pedagogy of Science Teaching Test) and qualitative(semi-structured interviews)data to deepen and analyze the research. The sample ofthe quantitative part in the study consisted of143 freshman pre-service science teachers (122 females and 21 males) purposefully drawn from a state university in Turkey. To understand theirrationalesoftheir teaching orientation preferences, semi-structured interviews were conducted with fourteen interviewees, who heldvarying science teaching orientations.The findings of this research showedthat the freshman pre-service science teachers hada variety of orientations that were not influenced by their earlier science learning experiences. Also, the results indicatedthat the orientations were largely related to the freshman pre-service science teachers‟ conceptions of „rolesof teachersand students, students‟gradesand nature of subject matter‟rather than their immediate experiences as learners. The current study recommends that theseconceptions shouldbe adressed in the teacher education programs with appropriate experiences that engage pre-service teachers to critical reflection throughout the teacher education program

Fulfilling the “missing link” between university and authentic workplace in teacher training

Purpose – This study aims to enable pre-service teachers to cooperate with teachers and to participate in solving classroom problems with the guidance of academic staff in an action research (AR) project. Design/methodology/approach – Eight pre-service teachers took an AR course and simultaneously participated in a collaborative AR project. While learning about the steps and nature of AR, pre-service teachers worked with teachers and designed their own project proposals in order to solve classroom problems. A questionnaire about “doing” an AR and reports prepared by the pre-service teachers were used as instruments. Findings – Pre-service teachers worked on different classroom problems together with the teachers and seven out of eight ARs were presented at a national teachers’ conference. Moreover, all the pre-service teachers reported that they were eager to apply AR in their future classrooms and they decided to apply their AR proposals even though the course had finished. Research limitations/implications – The study is limited by the participants and the instruments used here. Practical implications – AR courses enable pre-service teachers to take an active role in authentic workplaces, thereby encouraging them towards workplace learning. Originality/value – The study shows that collaborative AR can enable pre-service teachers to identify and solve classroom problems, thereby providing them with an environment in which to use their theoretical knowledge gained at university. Hence, AR courses could be integrated into teacher training programs in order to fulfil the missing link between theory and practice in teacher trainin

Teaching Orientations of Freshman Pre-service Science Teachers

The aim of this exploratory research is to understand teaching orientations of freshman pre-service science teachersand their rationales for those orientations. Through a mixed method, the current study collected quantitative(Pedagogy of Science Teaching Test) and qualitative(semi-structured interviews)data to deepen and analyze the research. The sample ofthe quantitative part in the study consisted of143 freshman pre-service science teachers (122 females and 21 males) purposefully drawn from a state university in Turkey. To understand theirrationalesoftheir teaching orientation preferences, semi-structured interviews were conducted with fourteen interviewees, who heldvarying science teaching orientations.The findings of this research showedthat the freshman pre-service science teachers hada variety of orientations that were not influenced by their earlier science learning experiences. Also, the results indicatedthat the orientations were largely related to the freshman pre-service science teachers‟ conceptions of „rolesof teachersand students, students‟gradesand nature of subject matter‟rather than their immediate experiences as learners. The current study recommends that theseconceptions shouldbe adressed in the teacher education programs with appropriate experiences that engage pre-service teachers to critical reflection throughout the teacher education program