Akademik Makaleler

Bu kitap bölümünde bir lisans dersi kapsamında fen bilimleri öğretmen adaylarının uygulanan 16 haftalık bir program sonucu yer duygularında bir değişim olup olmadığı araştırılmıştır. Uygulanan program kapsamında Giresun ili özelinde Karadeniz Bölgesi için önemli bir sosyobilimsel konu olan hidroelektrik santralleri örneği bağlam olarak kullanılmıştır. Elde edilen bulgulara göre uygulanan program sonucunda katılımcıların yer duygularında farklı açılardan istatistiksel olarak anlamlı gelişmeler olmuş ve katılımcıların yer duygusu ile ilgili sorulara verdikleri yanıtlarda biyofiziksel ve psikolojik temelli boyutlara politik ve sosyokültürel temelli boyutlardan daha fazla yer verdikleri görülmüştür.

Devam

Reforms in education of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines have been particularly critical for the economic competitiveness of Turkey. There has been some criticism of the reforms at the teacher education level, claiming that Turkish teachers were not prepared to address the needs of their profession. The authors of this article introduced the STEM education model, which was designed with a critical investigation of the previous research on curriculum integration, STEM education, teaching knowledge, and Turkish educational reforms. By focusing on the interaction of mathematics and science, the model emphasized the importance of integrated teaching knowledge to successfully transition from the departmentalized model of teaching to an integrated model that promotes innovation. Keywords: STEM education, integrated teaching knowledge, mathematically rigorous science education

Devam

In this paper, the authors discuss the conceptual and theoretical underpinnings of the Integrated Teaching Framework and the rationale behind its development as a road-map for teachers and teacher educators. It is further explored in the paper to what extent a sustainable teacher professional development project, which is grounded in this framework, displayed intellectual merit and broader impact. Outlines of the programs developed within this particular project are provided as evidences. Given short-term seminars or workshops in Turkey are generally accepted as the norm, revealing the details of long-term sustainable professional development programs is considered to be noteworthy for teachers, teacher educators, principal investigators of similar projects, and policy makers in Turkey and elsewhere.

Devam

Sustained professional development can support STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) reform. The authors describe a 3-year study of sustained professional development for 3 diverse urban schools across the salient factors of fidelity of implementation of project-based learning, development of professional learning communities, and student achievement. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected. The students who experienced the greatest fidelity of implementation exhibited the greatest gains (d D 1.41–2.03) on standardized test scores, while those with the lowest fidelity of implementation exhibited negative gains (d D –0.16 to –0.08). Qualitative data indicated teachers perceived there were multiple benefits from the implementation of project-based learning.

Devam

There has been some criticism of the teacher education programs in Turkey, claiming that pre-service teachers were not ready for the profession. This study explored the mental readiness of pre-service teachers to facilitate integrated mathematics and science. Data were collected from pre-service teachers who were enrolled in either integrated or departmentalized teacher education programs.Data were analyzed using a three-way multivariate factorial analysis of variance model. The independent variables were program (integrated or departmentalized), department (mathematics or science), and gender while the dependent variables were the attitudes towards the integrated teaching and nature of mathematics and science. The results indicated that pre-service mathematics teachers in the integrated teacher education program had more favorable attitudes towards integrated teaching of mathematics than pre-service mathematics teachers in the departmentalized program. The study showed that the integrated program may be an effective alternative to the standard departmentalized teacher education programs in Turkey.

Devam

Post-secondary institutions within the European Higher Education Area have been adapting quality assurance mechanisms for course design, delivery, and evaluation following a learner-centered approach. The purpose ofthis exploratory study was to delineate the teaching practices in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics at the post secondary level through an assessment of course syllabi. An analytical rubric was developed with the STEM community, STEM education, and STEM assessment factors in order to assess teaching practices through syllabi of the courses offered at a public university within the European Higher Education Area.Data were analyzed at the item level using a Mann-Whitney non-parametric test and at the factor level with an independent t-test. Results showed that there were statistically significant differences between the externally accredited and non-accredited programs in STEM_education and STEM_assessment variables, which indicated a practical significance in favor of accredited programs. There was reason to believe that the external accreditation process has a positive impact on instructors in encouraging them to align their syllabi with the STEM education praxis under the influence of the student-centered teaching and learning paradigm.

Devam

Türkiye’nin inovasyon kapasitesini arttırabilmesi için yüksek nitelikli Fen, Teknoloji, Mühendislik ve Matematik (FeTeMM) işgücüne ihtiyacı vardır. Yirmibirinci yüzyılın değişen şart ve problemleriyle birlikte takım çalışması ve disiplinlerarası yaklaşımları doğuran bu ihtiyaç, gençlerimizi ve özellikle kız öğrencilerimizi erken yaşlardan itibaren FeTeMM araştırmaları yapabilecek şekilde eğitecek öğrenme ortamlarının tasarımını ve bu tasarımları etkin şekilde kullanabilecek öğretmenlerin yetiştirilmesini gerektirir. Buna mukabil yapılan araştırmalar göstermektedir ki, öğretmenlerimiz mesleklerine etkin bir FeTeMM eğitimi verebilmek için gerekli bütünleşik öğretmenlik bilgisinden yoksun şekilde başlamaktadır. Bu makalenin amacı araştırmacıları FeTeMM eğitimi üzerine yürüttükleri çalışmalarının sonuçlarını TURJE’de yayımlamak konusunda cesaretlendirmektir. Anahtar Sözcükler: FeTeMM eğitimi, yenilikçi öğrenme ortamları, bütünleşik öğretmenlik bilgisi. Call for Manuscripts on STEM Education Turkey needs qualified science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce, who will contribute to increasing country’s innovation capacity. Reforms conducted in our educational system should cultivate STEM teachers who will train young science and engineering researchers by engaging in STEM practices at early ages. However, research suggests that new teachers entering the profession are not prepared with an integrated teaching knowledge to foster STEM education. This paper is more than a call for manuscripts on STEM education and encourages fellow researchers to conduct STEM education research in the Turkish context.

Devam

This study aims to evaluate the scientific creativity levels of second, third and fourth grade students who enrolled in a STEM course for an entire academic year. The sample consisted of 85 elementary school students in two private schools in Antalya, Turkey. Scientific Creativity Test and Student Demographic Questionnaire were the instruments used in the study. Findings revealed that the scientific creativity level of the students showed a statistically significant difference with respect to their grade level. No significant differences were observed based for other variables (gender, number of siblings, parental occupation, favorite subject, the most successful subject, future occupation). In this paper, selected student responses will be presented together with a comparison of the existing curricula and the implemented STEM curriculum as well as a discussion of the findings. The study has indicated that the implemented STEM program positively affected scientific creativity of the students.

Devam

Okul öncesi dönem çocuklarına uygulanan STEM yaklaşımına uygun fen etkinliklerinin, çocukların bilimsel süreç becerilerine etkisini incelemek amacıyla gerçekleştirilen araştırmada ön test son test kontrol gruplu yarı deneysel desen benimsenmiştir. Araştırmaya, Ankara İli Çankaya İlçesi’nde orta sosyoekonomik bölgesindeki ilkokulların anasınıfına devam eden 20 deney ve 18 kontrol grubu olmak üzere 38 çocuk ve öğretmenleri dâhil edilmiştir. Deney ve kontrol grubunun birbirlerini etkilememeleri için çocuklar farklı okullardan seçilmiştir. Veri toplamak amacıyla, 60-72 Aylık Çocuklar için Bilimsel Süreç Becerileri Ölçeği ve Demografik Bilgi Toplama Formu kullanılmıştır. Deney grubundaki çocuklara, araştırmacı tarafından 12 hafta boyunca, haftada 1 gün STEM yaklaşımına uygun fen etkinlikleri uygulanmıştır. Kontrol grubundaki çocuklar ile araştırma sonunda veriler toplandıktan sonra etik nedenlerle 3 oturum gerçekleştirilmiştir. Deney ve kontrol grubuna uygulanan ön test ve son testler arasındaki farklılığı belirlemek amacıyla bağımsız gruplar için T-Testi, deney ve kontrol grubunun ön test ve son testi arasındaki farklılığı belirlemek amacıyla bağımlı gruplar için T-Testi uygulanmıştır. Verilerin analizi sonucunda elde edilen bulgulara göre deney ve kontrol grubundaki çocukların bilimsel süreç becerileri ön test puanlarında anlamlı bir farklılık olmadığı; son test puanları arasında ise deney grubu lehine anlamlı bir farklılık olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Bu bulgulara göre, araştırma kapsamında yapılan STEM yaklaşımına uygun fen etkinliklerinin deney grubundaki çocukların bilimsel süreç becerilerinin gelişmesine katkı sağladığı sonucuna ulaşılmıştır. Araştırma sonucunda, STEM yaklaşımına uygun fen etkinliklerinin çocukların özellikle tahminde bulunma-çıkarım yapma-bilimsel iletişim kurma ve gözlem becerileri üzerinde pozitif yönde etki ettiğini söylemek mümkündür.

Devam

Regarding the current scene of STEM education, an effective discipline integration is a need. According to STEM: Integrated teaching framework, teachers use discipline specific methods for discipline integration. Mathematical modelling allows teachers to design integrated STEM activities, with a focus on mathematics discipline. In this paper we developed a math trail with mathematical modelling tasks at major historical venues of Istanbul. Students will collect and analyze data using LabStarTM. We reported expert opinions about the tasks included in the math trail and prepared the final tasks for implementation.

Devam

This research aimed to investigate and compare teachers‘ conceptualizations of their students‘ and their own outcomes of our earlySTEM program at the K4 level in two distinct roles: practitioners only and practitioners and program developers jointly. The study group included 66 teachers, 26 of whom had actively contributed to the development of the earlySTEM program. Teachers in both roles were supported by teacher guides, student books and workshops throughout the 8-month long academic year. Data was collected at the end of the academic year through an open-ended survey. The program developer teachers identified more student outcomes under more diverse categories while the practitioner teachers mainly concentrated on cognitive outcomes and limited their conceptualizations to the national curriculum. In addition, the program developer teachers valued their involvement in the program development process and expressed more diverse professional outcomes referring to different types of teacher knowledge.

Devam

Araştırma, okul öncesi öğretmenlerinin STEM yaklaşımı ve bu yaklaşıma uygun fen etkinlikleri hakkındaki görüşlerini belirlemek amacıyla yapılmıştır. Nitel araştırma yöntemlerinden durum çalışması benimsenmiş, amaçlı örnekleme yöntemlerinden tipik durum örneklemesi kullanılmıştır. Çalışma grubu, 2018-2019 eğitim döneminde, Ankara ili Çankaya ilçesinden orta sosyoekonomik bölgede bulunan okullarda çalışan 24 gönüllü okul öncesi öğretmeninden oluşmuştur. Çalışmada veri toplama aracı olarak araştırmacılar tarafından hazırlanan yarı yapılandırılmış “Görüşme Formu” kullanılmıştır. Elde edilen veriler nitel veri analizi yöntemlerinden içerik analizi ile değerlendirilmiştir. Araştırma sonucunda, öğretmenlerin STEM eğitimi hakkında bilgi sahibi olmadıkları, STEM eğitimini bir yöntem olarak tanımladıkları belirlenmiştir. Öğretmenlerin, yapılan fen etkinliklerinin çocukların bilimsel süreç becerilerini desteklediğine, fen eğitiminin yaparak yaşayarak gerçekleştirilen etkinlikler olması nedeniyle öğrenme üzerinde etkili olduğuna yönelik ifadelere yer verdikleri sonucuna ulaşılmıştır. Araştırmanın bulguları doğrultusunda, okul öncesi öğretmenlerinin STEM eğitimi konusunda farkındalıklarının artırılması amacıyla önerilerde bulunulmuştur.

Devam

The current research is about the impact of the young STEM researchers and practitioners program implemented within the STEM: Integrated teaching project. The aim of the program is to incorporate STEM integrated teaching knowledge in the teacher preparation period. In this phenomenological study, we explored five pre-school teachers’ program experiences and their STEM conceptions. Data were collected with semi-structured interviews, including questions about the impact and elements of the program and participants’ STEM conceptions. Content analysis showed that awareness for STEM education, development of integrated teaching knowledge, and program elements were the emergent themes about the program experience. Teacher candidates responded to the models that include real-world problems and engineering as contexts as most desirable when shown STEM education models to understand their STEM conceptions. The young STEM researchers and practitioners program can be evaluated as a developing model to be incorporated into teacher education programs. Further research can explore how pre-service teachers form their STEM conceptions and develop their integrated teaching knowledge.

Devam

Gender equity is a critical agenda for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education to increase women involvement in the STEM pathway. Our study is about the impact of a project in which all-girl teams participated to an educational robotics program. We used quantitative and qualitative data to determine the impact and understand the girls program experiences. After the participation of the program, the mean scores have increased in interest in STEM, interest in STEM careers, STEM identity, and understanding of STEM scales. The groups underlined their problem solving and group work experiences, as well as their excitement and motivation related with the STEM activities.

Devam

ABSTRACT Early childhood years were believed to be a precious time to implement Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education activities. Children can practice STEM-related skills and form their initial ideas about STEM professions. In this research, we aim to present an integrated STEM education curriculum for early childhood teachers, based on an engineering theme. We collected qualitative data through teachers’ selfevaluation forms and reflective journals. Seven teachers implemented the curriculum with the participation of 105 children. Teachers mostly expected improvement in cognitive process outcomes before the implementation. Children’s first reactions to the curriculum were curiosity and excitement. Cognitive process and social product outcomes were detailed and varied during and after the implementation of the curriculum. Teachers collaborated with their colleagues to plan and overcome the difficulties they encountered. The presented curriculum was found to be appropriate for implementation in early childhood settings. Further research was suggested to focus on the impact of the curriculum on children’s skills.

Devam

Engineering has been considered as a useful context for successful implementation of STEM education. However, teachers have limited opportunities to develop a sound understanding about engineers and engineering, which is necessary for developing students’ engineering practices and design skills. In this case study, the main purpose was to examine 18 preservice science teachers’ initial and final views about engineers and engineering in an undergraduate engineering-focused STEM course. Before and after an eight-week implementation including three engineering design activities, data were collected by the adapted version of Views on the Nature of Engineering Questionnaire and reflection papers. Findings revealed four categories: 1) views about engineers and engineering, 2) views about engineering design process, 3) views about the factors that affect engineering, and 4) views about science versus engineering. Based on the codes a scoring rubric was developed to categorize PSTs’ views as uninformed, partially informed, and informed. Results showed that PSTs’ views become more informed in each category. However, their views were still found as partially informed in some of the categories which shows the need for more emphasis on future research. The changes in their views were discussed with possible reasons and recommendations were provided for further studies.

Devam

ABSTRACT Informal science learning is valuable in the development of students’ cognitive and affective skills which also influences the development of an interest in science. Successful utilisation of informal learning settings into teaching and learning requires highly qualified teachers. This study explored how engagement in a semester-long course influenced preservice science teachers’ (PSTs) views and professional development on the use of natural history museums in science education. In this study, researchers collaborated with a natural history museum to design a 14-week-long undergraduate course. Findings revealed that intense immersion to the natural history museum as a part of the undergraduate course helped PSTs to develop a solid understanding of the value of informal settings. At the end of the course, PSTs were able to identify museums as valuable informal learning environments rather than supplemental to classroom learning. In addition, they became more supportive in addressing students’ different learning preferences. Accordingly, PSTs defined their teacher role as participants of the student learning process rather than being responsible for organising the visit and managing student behaviour. Most importantly at the end of the course, they were able to make the connection between science curricula and the museum.

Devam

Abstract This paper aims to explore the direct relationships between preservice science teachers’ knowledge and risk–benefit perceptions, and self-efficacy beliefs for socioscientific issues–based instruction in the context of genetically modified foods. Data were collected from 1077 junior and senior preservice science teachers and analysed by structural model analysis. Three instruments were used to collect data: Self-Efficacy Beliefs for Genetically Modified Foods–Based Instruction Instrument, Genetically Modified Foods Risk and Benefit Perception Scale, and Genetically Modified Foods Knowledge Scale. Findings of the study showed that preservice science teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs for teaching socioscientific issues–based instruction in the context of genetically modified foods are significantly correlated to their genetically modified foods knowledge and risk perception. Data analysis also showed that benefit perception regarding the socioscientific issue is not correlated to preservice science teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs for teaching in the context of genetically modified foods. Moreover, it was revealed that preservice science teachers’ genetically modified foods knowledge is significantly correlated to their genetically modified foods benefit perception but not to their risk perception. Findings of the study were discussed in light of teacher self-efficacy beliefs literature and implications were provided.

Devam

In the 21st century, schools have been increasingly expected to raise students prepared for a world of quantities and uncertainty. As statistical practices become an important skill for every individual, researchers and educators work on ways to translate the methodologies of professional statisticians in the teaching and learning environments. Technological tools are helpful in translating statistical investigations into the classroom. The purpose of our research is to understand teachers’ experiences about integrating statistical practices into their STEM lesson plans by using LabStar, a dynamic data collection and data analysis tool. Findings were investigated under four categories: personal development, in-class implementation, views about the mobile application and the tool, and statistical investigation environment. Future research was recommended to investigate teachers’ professional development opportunities to integrate meaningful statistical practices in their lesson plans.

Devam

Abstract Teaching engineering at the middle and high school levels has been a topic of discussion among scholars regarding the challenges it creates. One of the most critical challenges at the school level is identifying qualified teaching staff to lead engineering courses. The present study explored teachers’ willingness to lead an engineering course and the reasons behind their willingness or unwillingness to do so. The study involved 434 participants, who were enrolled in a STEM professional development program and were diverse regarding their teaching subjects, the grade levels they taught, and the locations of their schools in Turkey. In this mixed-methods study, researchers collected data at the beginning of an online professional development program. Quantitative data were analyzed descriptively, while qualitative data were analyzed with a data-driven codebook. Almost two-thirds of the participants were keen to teach an engineering course, yet differences were observed according to the subjects they taught and their professional backgrounds. Most of the mathematics teachers, the group with the highest percentage of willingness, seemed to have a holistic approach towards engineering, with half emphasizing collaboration between teachers and engineers. The study provided further insights into how initial teacher training and continuous professional development programs can be structured based on teacher expectations and needs.

Devam

The purpose of this qualitative study is to explore the key elements that contribute to effective online professional development as perceived by facilitators. The research focuses on a specific program aimed at integrating computer science into mathematics education, involving two cohorts of teachers over a period of two years. The lead facilitator, Haynes, has a masters degree in mathematics education and 18 years of teaching experience. The study highlights the importance of sparking interest, enabling participants to teach beyond the curriculum, and offering a personalized and diverse approach to online professional development with a focus on mathematics content. Additionally, the findings underline the value of incorporating STEM education theory through cofacilitation with an experienced teacher education researcher. The findings are further discussed in a keynote speech at the ROSEDA conference.

Devam

Abstract Conceptually grounded curricular materials in the context of professional development programs facilitate teachers’ adoption of new pedagogies. Even though science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professional development opportunities for early grade level teachers continue to receive attention, one existing challenge is to support teachers further in implementing well-defned integrated STEM curricula. The earlySTEM program supports K–4 teachers with the systematically developed earlySTEM curriculum, its associated curricular materials, and year-long mentoring. The program was implemented in 26 schools. This mid-evaluation investigated teacher perceptions of the earlySTEM program with a focus on contributions and challenges. A total of 134 teachers from the 26 schools responded to a survey with open-ended questions. Survey data were analyzed using a descriptive approach. The fndings indicated that the teachers had positive experiences with the earlySTEM program. The results revealed that the earlySTEM program is perceived to have contributed to (a) teachers’ STEM teaching skills and STEM conceptualizations and (b) students’ skills development and awareness on the connection of the curriculum content to real-world problems. The results also document the perceived challenge in implementing the earlySTEM curriculum: need for more classroom time. The conclusions ofer insights for similar program designs.

Devam

STEM Education in Turkey STEM education in K-12 settings has been on the agenda of Turkey for the last decade. STEM activities in formal settings are mostly integrated into the middle school science curriculum, focusing on design-based engineering practices. The importance of STEM education was also included in formal education policy papers (Ministry of National Education [MoNE], 2016). STEM activities in out-of-school settings are also common. Mainly science teachers are held responsible for the implementation of STEM activities. In the Turkish context, STEM education has a critical role in pre-service science teacher education. However, courses that focus directly on STEM education are not explicitly included in the pre-service science teacher education program. In the current book chapter, we presented a research-based co-teaching model for teachers’ professional development (PD) that can also serve as a teaching model for the preservice science teacher education program.

Devam

In this study, we explored Turkish preservice teachers’ (PTs) informal reasoning regarding COVID-19 vaccination and new media literacy (NML), and investigated potential relationships between their informal reasoning and NML levels. Participants of the study were 410 PTs enrolled in teacher education programs of 19 different universities in Turkiye. The New Media Literacy Scale was employed to determine PTs’ NML levels, while four open-ended questions assessed the informal reasoning in terms of the quality, quantity, and diversity of the arguments. PTs mostly generated scientific and risk-oriented arguments, respectively, with a notable absence of ecological and economical-oriented arguments. PTs’ highest quality arguments were in science and risk-oriented reasoning modes, while the lowest were in economy and ecology-oriented reasoning modes. Additionally, the study found a limited diversity in PTs’ arguments. The quality, quantity, and diversity scores of supportive arguments were higher than those of counter-arguments and rebuttals. PTs exhibited moderately high NML, with the lowest mean score in critical prosumption. Furthermore, a weak but significant positive correlation was found between the quantity, quality, and diversity of PTs’ arguments regarding COVID-19 vaccination and their NML levels, except for the correlation between the diversity of arguments and critical prosumption, To enhance PTs’ critical prosumption levels, and facilitate their effective use of media in addressing socioscientific issues, teacher education programs can focus on developing PTs’ NML specifically in the context of controversial topics through targeted courses.

Devam

ABSTRACT Background and Purpose: As a response to the need for effective engineering integration in K-12 science classrooms, teachers should be supported with rich professional development (PD) with diverse components (e.g. curriculum material support). Grounded in the framework for quality K-12 engineering education, this study explores how elementary science teachers integrated engineering into science lessons after participating in PD and the nature of engineering integration with additional curriculum material support (CMS). Design/Method: In this single-case study with multiple embedded units of analysis, three teachers’ 79 classroom video recordings were analyzed using the Classroom Observation Protocol for Engineering Design with the engineering design process and engineering habits of mind components. Findings: Analysis showed that teachers spent time on each design component in both PD Year and CMS Year, with an increase for at least half of the components in the CMS Year. Across all the observations in both years, the most common engineering design process component was researching possible solutions to the engineering challenge. Compared to the PD Year, teachers’ engineering habits of mind integration improved greatly in the CMS Year. Regarding engineering design and science concepts integration, observations became more balanced, moving away from the independent ends of the continuum in the CMS Year. Conclusions: Long-term PD was effective in supporting teachers’ integration of engineering design components. Providing CMS had the greatest impact on the integration of engineering habits of mind components. Along with PD, curriculum support with explicit indication of how and when to incorporate engineering with habits of mind components was beneficial for teachers.

Devam

Abstract: This study aimed to investigate how pre-service teachers’ intentions to vaccinate against COVID-19 were related to their perceptions of the causes of COVID-19, which are conspiracy thoughts, perceptions of environmental and faith factors, trust in scientists, and risk perceptions toward COVID-19 vaccines. In this study, a cross-sectional survey research method was used and an online questionnaire was administered to 434 Turkish pre-service teachers from 19 different universities in Türkiye. A multinomial logistic regression analysis was conducted to predict pre-service teachers’ vaccination intentions and two multinomial logit models were evaluated. The results indicated that most pre-service teachers had a positive intention to vaccinate against COVID-19. Pre-service teachers with lower risk perceptions about COVID-19 vaccination and scores on conspiracy thoughts, and higher scores on perceptions of environmental factors about COVID-19 vaccination were more likely to have a positive intention of getting COVID-19 vaccination. However, trust in scientists and faith did not have significant relationships with the intention of getting COVID-19 vaccination. Based on our findings we suggest paying attention to increasing environmental perceptions of pre-service teachers, decreasing their beliefs in conspiracy theories and risk perceptions, and increasing trust in scientists, which are believed to contribute to the development of teacher education programs that would more likely equip teacher candidates with features necessary for dealing with global challenges in the world.

Devam