The effects of problem-based learning on pre-service teachers’ achievement, approaches and attitudes towards learning physics

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of the Problem Based Learning (PBL) method on students' achievement in and approaches and attitudes towards an introductory physics course. With the control group, a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design was used. A total of 25 freshman students majoring in mathematics teaching in a five-year pre-service teacher education program in Turkey participated. There were one control group and one experimental group; namely, the PBL group. Pre-service teachers were randomly assigned to either one of the two groups: The PBL group (n = 12), who received physics instruction in accordance with the PBL format, or a control group (n = 13), who received physics instruction in line with traditional teaching methods. Data were collected via the pre and post administration of the Magnetism Test (MT), the Approaches to Learning Scale (ALS), and the Scale of Attitudes towards Physics (SAP). The results indicated that the problem-based learning method not only encouraged the students' deep approach to learning, but also improved interest (a component of attitude) towards the physics course. The results also signaled that PBL-based physics instruction impacted the students' achievement in physics positively. The paper ends with some implications for the instruction of physics

FİZİK DERSİNDE ÖĞRENCİLERİN ÖĞRENME DOYUMLARININ YORDANMASI

in introductory physics courses. Data was statistically analyzed using descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression analysis. Findings indicate that student beliefs explain 29% of the total variance on student satisfaction and that student beliefs are positively correlated with student satisfaction. The results also indicate that "enjoyment in the physics course" is a more significant predictor than "student self-perception of competence in learning physics". In the paper, recommendations based on the findings of the study are highlighted. Bu araştırmanın amacı, fizik dersine yönelik öğrenci doyumları üzerinde öğrencilerin inanışlarının (yani fizik dersinden hoşlanma ve fizik öğrenmeye yönelik yeterlik algıları) belirleyiciliğini incelemektir. Araştırmada Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesindeki beş ayrı bölümde öğrenim gören toplam 189 öğrenciden "Öğrenci Doyum Ölçeği" ve "Öğrenci Bilgi Formu" nu cevaplandırmaları istenmiştir. Katılımcı öğrencilerin tamamı fiziğe giriş dersi almaktadırlar. Araştırmanın verileri betimsel istatistikler ve çoklu doğrusal regresyon analizi ile çözümlenmiştir. Araştırmanın bulguları öğrenci inanışlarının öğrenci doyumuna ait toplam varyansın %29'unu açıkladığını ve öğrenci inanışlarının öğrenci doyumu ile pozitif şekilde ilişkili olduğunu göstermektedir. Bu sonuçlar aynı zamanda "fizik dersinden hoşlanmanın", "fizik öğrenmeye yönelik yeterlik algıları" na göre daha önemli bir belirleyici olduğunu ortaya çıkarmıştır. Araştırmada sonuçlara dayalı olarak öneriler vurgulanmıştır

Öğretmen Adayları Vektör Analizindeki Bazı Önemli Operatörleri Ne Derece Biliyorlar?

 The primary purpose of this study is to find out how accurately pre-service teachers use gradient, divergence and curl, which are key operations in vector analysis, and also how well they know the correct meanings of those operations. The secondary purpose of the research is to determine at what level they use scalar product and vector product, which are key algebraic operations that form a basis for the use of the aforementioned differential operations. The research was conducted with 90 pre-service physics teachers who have all passed the “Mathematical Methods in Physics I-II Courses”. Students' understanding and usage level of the operations mentioned above were tested using a Paper-and-Pencil Test (including eight tasks). The analyses of the collected data were based on the quantitative and qualitative techniques. Results indicate that pre-service physics teachers have specific and considerable comprehension difficulties with the physical meanings of vector differentialoperations. In the paper, the conclusions of the study and implications for physical mathematics teaching are discussed.  ÖzBu çalışmanın ana amacı öğretmen adaylarının vektör analizinde anahtar operatörler olan gradyan, diverjans ve rotasyoneli ne derece doğru kullandıklarını ve aynı zamanda bu operatörlerin doğru anlamlarını ne kadar iyi bildiklerini ortaya çıkarmaktır. Çalışmada ayrıca, sözü edilen diferansiyel işlemcilerin kullanımı için bir temel oluşturan ve anahtar cebirsel işlemler olan skaler ve vektörel çarpımları da ne derece kullanabildiklerini belirlemek amaçlanmıştır. Araştırma “Fizikte Matematiksel Yöntemler I-II” derslerinde başarılı olmuş 90 fizik öğretmen adayı ile gerçekleştirilmiştir. Öğrencilerin söz edilen operatörleri anlayışları ve kullanım düzeyleri Kağıt-Kalem Testi (sekiz akademik iş) kullanılarak ölçülmüştür. Toplanan verilerin analizi nicel ve nitel tekniklere dayalıdır. Araştırmanın sonuçları fizik öğretmen adaylarının vektör diferansiyel operatörlerin fiziksel anlamları ile ilgili dikkate değer ve çeşitli anlama zorluklarına sahip olduklarını göstermektedir. Makalede, çalışmanın sonuçları ve fiziksel matematik öğretimine yönelik uygulamalar tartışılmıştır.

SELF-REGULATED STRATEGIES USED BY UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS IN PHYSICS PROBLEMS: EFFECTS of GENDER and UNIVERSITY

Bu çalışmanın amacı, üniversite öğrencilerinin fizik problemlerini çözmede özdüzenleme stratejilerini kullanım düzeylerini ve cinsiyet ve öğrenim gördükleri üniversitenin özdüzenleme stratejilerini kullanımları üzerindeki etkilerini belirlemektir. Araştırmanın verileri, "Problem Çözmede Kullanılan Özdüzenleme Stratejileri Ölçeği" ile toplanmıştır. Bu araştırmada survey (tarama) yöntemi kullanılmıştır. Araştırmaya Balıkesir Üniversitesi Necatibey Eğitim Fakültesinde (n=150) ve Karadeniz Teknik Üniversitesi Fatih Eğitim Fakültesinde (n=113) öğrenim görmekte olan ve Genel Fizik dersi alan toplam n=263 gönüllü öğrenci katılmıştır. Verilerin çözümlemelerinde frekans, yüzde, ortalama, standart sapma ve tek yönlü MANOVA ve tek değişkenli ANOVA istatistiksel teknikleri kullanılmıştır. Araştırmanın sonucunda, üniversite düzeyinde fizik dersi alan öğrencilerin fizik problemlerini çözerken birçok özdüzenleme stratejisini sıklıkla kullandıkları, cinsiyet ve üniversite değişkenlerine göre öğrencilerin strateji kullanımları arasında önemli bir fark olmadığı belirlenmiştir. ABSTRACT: The aim of this research is to determine the usage level of the self-regulated strategies by undergraduate students while they are solving physics problems; and the effects of their gender and university which they attend on the usage level of these self-regulated strategies. Data of the research were collected by "Self-Regulated Strategy Scale Used in Problem Solving". In this research, survey method was used. Totally n=263 volunteer students who takes General Physics course reading at Necatibey Education Faculty of Balıkesir University (n=150), and Fatih Education Faculty of Karadeniz (Black Sea) Technical University (n=113) had participated into the research. In analysis of data, the following statistical techniques such as frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, and one-way MANOVA and univariate ANOVA were used. As a result of the research, it is concluded that the undergraduate students who take physics course often use many self-regulated strategies while solving physics problems, and there is no significant difference between the students' usage level of the strategies according to the variables of gender and university

A problem-based learning scenario that can be used in science teacher education

© 2015 HKIEd APFSLT.The purpose of this study is to introduce a problem-based learning (PBL) scenario that elementary school science teachers in middle school (5th-8th grades) can use in their in-service training. The scenario treats the subjects of heat, temperature and thermal expansion within the scope of the 5th and 6th grade science course syllabi and has been drawn up to represent the stage-by-stage solution of a real life problem. The scenario was tried out in 2014 as a research project funded by the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBITAK) in different geographical regions and provinces of Turkey (7 regions and 26 provinces) with 40 elementary school science teachers (20 women and 20 men). The face-to-face interviews conducted with 11 participating teachers and the unstructured observations made throughout the PBL scenario that is introduced in this article reveal that such a scenario is effective and useful and can be used during in-service teacher training

Addressing pre-service teachers' understandings and difficulties with some core concepts in the special theory of relativity

The aim of this study is to investigate pre-service teachers' understanding of and difficulties with some core concepts in the special theory of relativity. The pre-service teachers (n = 185) from the Departments of Physics Education and Elementary Science Education at Dokuz Eylul University (in Turkey) participated. Both quantitative and qualitative research methods were used in this study. Students' understanding of and difficulties with core elements (time, length, mass and density) were tested using a paper-and-pencil questionnaire (including four questions) and in-depth interviews after the instruction of related modern physics topics. The analyses of the collected data were based on quantitative and qualitative techniques. The results indicate that pre-service teachers at different academic levels have specific and considerable difficulties with proper time, time dilation, proper length, mass and relativistic density concepts. In this paper, the conclusions of the study and implications for physics teaching are discussed