Journal of Baltic Science Education

3

Authors: Editorial Board

Contents, Vol. 15, No. 1, 2016, JBSE

7-17

Authors: Mustafa B. Aktan

Models are central constructs of science teaching and learning. This research aims to report on seven pre-service science teachers’ perceptions and attitudes towards models and the rationale for using models in science teaching. Semi-structured in-depth interviewing, an open-item questionnaire, and a five-point Likert scale questionnaire were used to obtain data from the participants. No evidence of negative attitude towards the use of models was observed among the participants. Although the pre-service science teachers (PSTs) valued the idea that scientific models are important aspects of science teaching and learning, they were hesitant to use and build models as teaching tools. Four categories related to the perceptions about the rationale for using models were identified from the data namely, promoting interest and attention, promoting understanding due to illustrative and representative nature of models, promote concretization as instrumental tool and promoting theoretical understanding in science. The findings indicated that the PSTs showed positive attitudes towards the use of models in their teaching, but certain factors like level of learner, time, lack of modeling experience, and limited knowledge of models appeared to be affecting their perceptions and attitudes negatively.

28-47

Authors: Fatma Önen Öztürk

The aim of the research is to detect the views of the science teacher candidates about the nature of scientific inquiry before and after a history of science based teaching process. The research was made with the participation of 18 teacher candidates, who were enrolled in the primary science-teaching department of an Istanbul-based university. The qualitative data collection and analysis methods were used in the research, which was based upon the “case studies” to uncover the views in more details. Data of the research were collected by using the document analysis and interview. The data were assessed through the content and descriptive analysis methods. The results of the research represented that the teacher candidates’ views about the guidance of the scientific questions to the scientific investigations, the multiple purposes of the scientific investigations and the justification of the scientific knowledge were “weak” in the pre-test, and their views about the remaining aspects were at the level of “informed.” The teacher candidates could not express “sophisticated” views about any aspect. After the implementation process, it was seen that the teacher candidates’ views about the method diversity and the distinctions between the data and the evidence improved, but there was no difference in their views about other aspects.

58-67

Authors: Necla Dönmez Usta, Neslihan Ültay

Concept maps are effective tools for showing the relations between the concepts and they can be used to make clear the relations between the abstract concepts such as hydrocarbons topic. The aim of this research is to determine the abilities of prospective chemistry teachers’ (PCTs) creating concept maps about hydrocarbons. In this research , case study was used and the study was carried out in a university in North Coast of Turkey with 25 PCTs (aged 20-27). PCTs were taught how to create concept maps, types of concept maps such as hierarchical, non- hierarchical and chain or spoke concept maps through example concept maps. In this research context, PCTs were given a text about hydrocarbons and they were supposed to prepare their own concept maps about hydrocarbons. Their concept maps were evaluated according to the reference concept map which was prepared by the researchers. At the end of the research, it is seen that PCTs had difficulty in constructing concept maps. According to the conclusions drawn from the research, some suggestions were offered.

79-96

Authors: Ayfer Mutlu, Burçin Acar Şeşen

This research aimed at evaluating pre-service science teachers’ understanding of the subject matters such as “thermochemistry, chemical kinetics, chemical equilibrium, acids and bases and electrochemistry”. For this purpose, a two-tier diagnostic test consisting of 44 items (α = 0.84) related to the aforementioned concepts was developed by the researchers. This test was applied on to the first, second, and third year pre-service science teachers in Hasan Ali Yucel Education Faculty, Istanbul University. The results showed that the pre-service science teachers had alternative conceptions about endothermic-exothermic reactions, conservation of energy, reaction enthalpy, calorimeters; rate of reaction, reaction rate constant, effects of some factors on reaction rate and reaction rate constant; effects of some factors on equilibrium, equilibrium dynamics, Le Chatelier Principle; equivalence point, end point, indicators, buffers, titrations, neutralization, strength and properties of acids and bases, pH; effects of concentrations on cell potential, metal electrodes, localization of anode and cathode, plating, galvanization.

109-126

Authors: Cândida Sarabando, José P. Cravino, Armando A. Soares

Although weight and mass are considered fundamental concepts in physics, they are still not well understood by students. A computer simulation was designed to improve students’ learning of these concepts and compared it with other teaching strategies. The research was carried out with 142 students (7th grade; 12-13 years old), from three schools. There is a significant change in conceptual understanding of the concepts weight and mass for all groups. Nevertheless, total gains were higher for students who used the computer simulation. The implication is that using a computer simulation, carefully designed to address specific conceptual difficulties, may help the students understand the concepts of weight and mass. We also interviewed teachers to understand their role in the classroom. It was found that the features most likely to contribute to improve students’ learning are related to the balance between support and autonomy given to students during the use of the computer simulation.