Fen Bilimleri Öğretmen Adaylarının "Su Bağlamı" Üzerine Düşüncelerinin Tespit Edilmesi

Özet

Su bağlamı fen bilimleri dersi öğretim programında yer alan kazanımların büyük bir çoğunluğu için kullanılan ve öğretim materyallerinin ana malzemesi olan bir bağlamdır. Su; madde döngüsü, hal değişimi, ısı - sıcaklık, bitki ve hayvanlarda büyüme, boşaltım sistemi gibi konuların kavratılması için temel materyaldir. Geleceğin öğretmenlerinin su bağlamı hakkında bildiklerinin zihinlerinde nasıl yapılandırdıklarının ortaya çıkarılması gerek fen bilimleri öğretmen adayları gerekse fen eğitimcileri için incelenmesi gereken bir konudur. Bu gereksinimden yola çıkarak mevcut araştırma, fen bilimleri öğretmen adaylarının “su bağlamı" üzerine düşüncelerini tespit etmeyi amaçlamaktadır. Araştırma alan taraması (survey) yöntemi ile yürütülmüştür. Veriler, ülkemizde öğretmen adayı yetiştiren bir eğitim fakültesinin Fen Bilgisi Öğretmenliği bölümünde öğrenim gören 1. sınıfta 103, 2. sınıfta 44, 3. sınıfta 61 ve 4. sınıfta 88 olmak üzere toplam 296 fen bilimleri öğretmen adayının katılımıyla toplanmıştır. Çalışmada veri toplama aracı olarak 6 adet açık uçlu ve 2 adet çizim sorusu olmak üzere toplam 8 sorudan oluşan “Su Bağlamı Testi” kullanılmıştır. Hal değiştirme olayı olmamasına rağmen öğretmen adaylarının yağmur, kar, dolu, çiy ve kırağı oluşumlarını kristalleşme olayı ile açıklamaları, suyun katı haline örnek olan kar, dolu ve kırağı oluşumlarını yorumlayamamaları ve üç haline yönelik suyun tanecikli yapılarını çizememeleri tespit edilen önemli bulgular arasındadır. Araştırma soncunda 1., 2., 3., ve 4. sınıfta öğrenim gören fen bilimleri öğretmen adaylarının suyun hal değişimi, suyun farklı hallerinin tanecikli yapısı ve suyun yoğunluğuna yönelik konularda yetersiz kavramaya sahip oldukları ve zihinlerinde bilimsel bilgilerle değiştirilmesi gereken birçok alternatif kavramanın yer aldığı tespit edilmiştir.

Abstract

It plays a major role in the retention of what is learned when students use concepts they learn in school to solve problems encountered in everyday life (Balkan Kıyıcı &Aydoğdu, 2011; Özmen, 2003). Linking concepts to be acquired with students’ everyday life and presenting them to students through different methods and techniques not only have a positive influence on academic achievement and motivation (Özmen, 2003; Shen, 1993) but also facilitate the process of conceptual change (Ayvacı, ErNas&Dilber, 2016; Belt, Leisvik, Hyde & Overton, 2005; KirmanBilgin, DemircioğluYürükel & Yiğit, 2017; Kirman-Bilgin, ErNas & Şenel Çoruhlu, 2017; King, Bellocchi & Ritchie, 2008; Potter & Overton, 2006; O’Connor & Hayden, 2008). The easiest way to relate science to everyday life is context. Considering the acquisitions in the science curriculum, it is noteworthy that the most used context is “water”. The properties of water including its molecular structure different from other substances, its rarity of being available in three states of matter, the living beings’ need for water to sustain their life, and its use as an important source of energy differentiate the context of water from other contexts. Considering the updated science curriculum (MEB, 2017), it is remarkable that it includes direct acquisitions in relation to the context of water and the context of water in most topics can be used to be linked with everyday life. Accordingly, the purpose of this study is to reveal pre-service science teachers’ opinions on the context of water. The study attempts to determine the opinions of 1st-, 2nd-, 3rd, and 4th-grade pre-service science teachers about the changes of state of water, the molecular structure of water, and the change of water density. Thus, it tries to reveal the current situation. Accordingly, it uses a survey research design. The study sample consisted of a total of 296 pre-service science teachers including 103 first graders, 44 second graders, 61 third graders and 88 fourth graders who study at the Department of Science Teaching in a faculty of education training pre-service teachers in Turkey. The data were collected using the “Water Context Test” consisting of 8 questions including 6 open-ended questions and 2 drawing questions. The questions included in the test are as follows. Table 1. Questions in the Water Context Test Question No Open-ended questions Ques. 1 Which changes of state are observed in the dryness of rivers, rain formation, hail formation, snow formation, dew formation, and hoarfrost formation? Explain with reasons. Ques. 2 How do snow and hail form? Explain your opinions about similarities and differences considering the molecular structure of matter. Ques. 3 The image on the right shows different shapes of falling snow. If you examine snowflakes while it is snowing, you can observe that their shapes are different. Why do you think snowflakes are different from each other? Explain it considering the molecular structure of matter. Ques. 4 Hailstones ca sometimes be pea-sized and other times melon-sized. What is the reason for this? Explain it considering the molecular structure of matter. Ques. 5 Why does water freeze on the surface? Explain it considering the molecular structure of matter. Ques. 6 What kind of movements do the particles of water have when it is solid, liquid, and gas? Drawing Questions Ques. 7 Draw the molecular structure of water in the form of solid, liquid, and gases. Ques. 8 Draw the molecular structure of hail, hoarfrost, snow, and dew. Table 2 below presents how the test questions are analyzed. Table 2. Analysis of Data Obtained from the Water Context Test Questions Question No Data Analysis 1 All answers given by the pre-service science teachers for the changes of matter are presented in tables using percentage and frequency values. The purpose of doing this was to determine how the pre-service teachers organize water-related everyday life events and the changes of states in their minds. Alternative concepts known by the pre-service teachers are also tabulated using percentage and frequency values. 2 The classification proposed by Marek (1986) was used in the analysis of open-ended questions. This classification involves a “sound understanding” of the concept (Code A: an answer that contains a scientifically accurate understanding of particle size), a “partial understanding” (Code B: an answer that involves a macroscopic level of comprehension or a part of accurate comprehension), “misconceptions” (Code C: an understanding that is inconsistent with scientific knowledge, including alternative thoughts), and “no understanding” (Code D: answering “I do not know”, meaningless conceptions). The answers to these questions are also presented in tables using percentage and frequency values. 3 4 5 6 All answers given by the pre-service teachers for the movement of the particles based on the states of water were tabulated using percentage and frequency value