International Association of Educators   |  ISSN: 2834-7919   |  e-ISSN: 1554-5210

Original article | International Journal of Progressive Education 2016, Vol. 12(1) 108-116

The Relationship Between Preservice Science Teachers’ Attitude Toward Astronomy and Their Understanding of Basic Astronomy Concepts

Behzat Bektasli

pp. 108 - 116   |  Manu. Number: ijpe.2016.022

Published online: February 01, 2016  |   Number of Views: 263  |  Number of Download: 746


Abstract

Turkish preservice science teachers have been taking a two-credit astronomy class during the last semester of their undergraduate program since 2010. The current study aims to investigate the relationship between preservice science teachers’ astronomy misconceptions and their attitudes toward astronomy. Preservice science teachers were given an Astronomy Attitude Test and a conceptual test at the beginning of their astronomy course. Three students from each of three attitude levels (low, medium, and high) were selected for interviews and asked to explain their conceptual test responses in depth. Generally, low-attitude students had more misconceptions and gave non-scientific, low-level explanations, whereas middle- and high-attitude students gave more scientific explanations. The results suggest that students develop negative attitudes about a subject in which they lack knowledge.

Keywords: astronomy attitude levels, basic astronomy concepts, preservice science teachers


How to Cite this Article?

APA 6th edition
Bektasli, B. (2016). The Relationship Between Preservice Science Teachers’ Attitude Toward Astronomy and Their Understanding of Basic Astronomy Concepts. International Journal of Progressive Education, 12(1), 108-116.

Harvard
Bektasli, B. (2016). The Relationship Between Preservice Science Teachers’ Attitude Toward Astronomy and Their Understanding of Basic Astronomy Concepts. International Journal of Progressive Education, 12(1), pp. 108-116.

Chicago 16th edition
Bektasli, Behzat (2016). "The Relationship Between Preservice Science Teachers’ Attitude Toward Astronomy and Their Understanding of Basic Astronomy Concepts". International Journal of Progressive Education 12 (1):108-116.

References
  1. Ajzen, I. & Fishbern, M. (1980). Understanding attitudes and predicting social behavior Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall. [Google Scholar]
  2. Bektasli, B. (2013a). The effect of media on preservice science teachers’ attitudes toward astronomy and achievement in astronomy class. TOJET: The Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology, 12(1), 139-146. [Google Scholar]
  3. Bektasli, B. (2013b). The development of astronomy concept test for determining preservice science teachers’ misconceptions about astronomy. Education and Science, 38(168), 362-372. [Google Scholar]
  4. Bektasli, B. (2014). In-Service science teachers’ astronomy misconceptions. Mediterranean Journal of Educational Research, 15, 1-10. [Google Scholar]
  5. Bennett, J. (2001). The development and use of an instrument to assess students' attitude to the study of chemistry. International Journal of Science Education, 23(8), 833–845. [Google Scholar]
  6. Bisard, W.J., Aron, R.H., Francek, M. & Nelson, B.D. (1994). Assessing selected physical science and Earth science misconceptions of middle school through university pre-service teachers. Journal of College Science Teaching, 24(1), 38–42. [Google Scholar]
  7. Brunsell, E. & Marcks, J. (2005). Identifying a baseline for teachers’ astronomy content knowledge. Astronomy Education Review, 3(2). [Google Scholar]
  8. Durrani, M. (1998). Students prefer to mix and match. Physics World, 6. [Google Scholar]
  9. Freedman, M.P. (1997). Relationship among laboratory instruction, attitude toward science, [Google Scholar]
  10. and achievement in science knowledge. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 34(4), 343–357. [Google Scholar]
  11. Gardner, P.L. (1995). Measuring attitudes to science: Unidimensionality and internal consistency revisited. Research in Science Education, 25(3), 283–289. [Google Scholar]
  12. George, R. (2000). Measuring change in students’ attitudes toward science over time: An application of latent variable growth modeling. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 9(3). [Google Scholar]
  13. Gibson, H.L. & Chase, C. (2002). Longitudinal impact of an inquiry-based science program on middle school students’ attitudes toward science. Science Education, 86(5), 693–705. [Google Scholar]
  14. Keeves, J.P. (1975). The home, the school, and achievement in mathematics and science. Science Education, 59, 439–460. [Google Scholar]
  15. Kind, P., Jones, K. & Barmby, P. (2007). Developing attitudes toward science measures. International Journal of Science Education, 29(7), 871–893. [Google Scholar]
  16. Osborne, J., Simon, S. & Collins, S. (2003). Attitudes towards science: a review of the literature and its implications. International Journal of Science Education, 25(9), 1049–1079. [Google Scholar]
  17. Pell, T. & Jarvis, T. (2001): Developing attitude to science scales for use with children of ages from five to eleven years. International Journal of Science Education, 23(8), 847–862. [Google Scholar]
  18. Piburn, M. & Baker, D. (1993). If I were the teacher… Qualitative study of attitude toward science. Science Education, 77, 393–406. [Google Scholar]
  19. Reid, N. (2006). Thoughts on attitude measurements. Research in Science and Technological Education, 24(1), 3–27. [Google Scholar]
  20. Reid, N. (2012). Thoughts on attitude measurement. Research in Science & Technological [Google Scholar]
  21. Education, 24(1), 3–27. [Google Scholar]
  22. Reid, N. & Skryabina, E.A. (2002). Attitudes towards physics. Research in Science and Technological Education, 20(1), 67–81. [Google Scholar]
  23. Trumper, R. (2000). University students' conceptions of basic astronomy concepts. Physics Education, 35(1), 9–15. [Google Scholar]
  24. Zeilik, M., Schau, C. & Mattern, N. (1998). Misconceptions and their change in university-level astronomy courses. The Physics Teacher, 36, 104–107. [Google Scholar]
  25. Zeilik, M., Schau, C. & Mattern, N. (1999) Conceptual astronomy: replicating conceptual gains, probing attitude changes across three semesters. American Journal of Physics, 67(9), 923–927. [Google Scholar]
  26. Zeilik, M., Schau, C., Mattern, N., Hall, S., Teague, K. W. & Bisard, W. (1997). Conceptual astronomy: A novel model for teaching postsecondary science courses. American Journal of Physics, 65(10), 987–996. [Google Scholar]