General description

The preparation of scientifically literate students is a continuing goal of science education, and an adequate understanding of nature of science (NOS) is a central component of scientific literacy (American Association for the Advancement of Science, 1993; Lederman 1992).

Despite the fact that the importance of NOS has been accepted in the science education community, many studies that assess elementary students’ conceptions of NOS have found that they do not possess an adequate understanding of NOS (Kang et al., 2004). One explanation for students’ deficiency in understanding of conceptions of NOS is that the majority of elementary and secondary teachers seldom explicitly address this topic in their science classes. In addition, many studies consistently have shown that preservice science teachers, as well as experienced science teachers do not possess adequate conceptions of NOS (Abd-El-Khalick et al., 1998).

Research by Akerson and Buzzelli (2008) indicates that specific characteristics of preservice teachers, such as their intellectual developmental levels and teaching concerns affect them in constructing nature of science understanding both in methods courses and in internship settings.

Teaching nature of science is one of the most significant novelties in the history of elementary science education programs all over the world, as well as in Turkey. Implications of teaching nature of science are included in the new elementary science education curriculum in 2004. Since then, preservice elementary teachers are being prepared to develop high levels of positive concerns to teach nature of science in their programs.

A big portion of preservice and in-service elementary science teachers have been experiencing reluctance, challenges and self-criticism in implementing nature of science into their lesson plans and classes. In Hall and Hord’s study (2006), it is obviously seen that concerns towards innovations differ dramatically through innovation introduction process. Thus, we need to monitor when preservice elementary science teachers confront with nature of science explicitly; science teaching methods class.

Besides, categorizing preservice elementary science teachers’ according to their intellectual levels may bring us a prime chance to get a detailed view of their understandings of scientific knowledge. Thus, as preservice teachers’ nature of science views and teaching concerns about NOS being detected, the position of their cognitive or intellectual development should also been considered. Perry’s (1970) scheme of intellectual development is cut out for this purpose.

Researcher takes the first step to investigate and detect the effects of learner characteristics –i.e. science teacher candidates- on NOS understandings and NOS teaching by selecting his sample among preservice elementary science teachers. Such a framework warns us on not only to detect the NOS view levels, intellectual levels and teaching concerns, but also seeking relationships upon. This study is to reveal relationships of Turkish preservice elementary science teachers’ nature of science understandings, intellectual developmental levels and teaching concerns about NOS.

References (AAAS). (1993). American Association for the Advancement of Science. Benchmarks for science literacy: A project 2061 report . Abd-El-Khalick, F., Bell, R. L., & Lederman, N. G. (1998). The nature of science and instructional practice: Making unnatural natural. Science Education , 82, 417-436. Akerson, V. L., Buzelli, C. A., & Donnely, L. A. (2008). Early Childhood Teachers’ Views of Nature of Science: The Influence of Intellectual Levels, Cultural Values, and Explicit Reflective Teaching. Journal of Research in Science Teaching , 45(6), 748–770. Hall, G. E., & Hord, S. M. (2006). Implementing the change: Patterns, principles, and potholes. Boston, MA: Pearson Eduction. Kang, S., Scharmann, L. C., & Noh, T. (2004). Examining students’ views on the nature of science: Results from Korean 6th, 8th, and 10th graders. Science Education , 89, 314–334. Lederman, N. G., Abd-El-Khalick, F., Bell, R. L., & Schwartz, R. (2002). Views of nature of science questionnaire (VNOS): Toward valid and meaningful assessment of learners’ conceptions of nature of science. Journal of Research in Science Teaching , 39, 497–521. Lederman, N. G. (1992). Students' and Teachers' Conceptions of the Nature of Science: A Review of the Research. Journal of Research in Science Teaching , 29(4), 331-359. Perry, W. G. (1970). Forms of intellectual and ethical development in the college years. New York: Holt: Rinehart & Winston.