Session Information
ERG SES B 06, Science Education
Parallel Paper Session
Contribution
The previous literature declared that epistemological beliefs may influence teachers’ educational and classroom practices at the behavior level (Jones & Carter, 2006) as well as their decision-making about what and how to teach (Schraw & Olafson, 2002). Schommer-Aikins (2002) stated that students oriented to a belief in complex and changed knowledge used more instructional strategies and were at better in problem solving than students oriented to a belief in simple and unchanging knowledge. Researchers also claim that teachers’ beliefs shape their approach and practical theories in classroom teaching, influencing their instructional strategies and performance in the classroom (Cheng, Chan, Tang, & Cheng, 2009). Since the previous research suggested the hypothetical influence of epistemological beliefs on educational and classroom practices, the present research tested this important relationship. To investigate epistemological beliefs, Schommer’s (1990) multidimensional epistemology model has been accepted and used. The model supports multidimensional structure of the epistemological beliefs, and previous research (Authors, 2008; 2011) on Turkish Preservice Science Teachers (PST) supports this model, hence present study used this model. Moreover, the Turkish validated-version of the Schommer’s Epistemological Questionnaire (SEQ) (Authors, 2006; 2008; 2011) has been used to explore PST’s epistemological beliefs.
In order to explore PST’s quality of science teaching; a model developed by the evaluation team of the Arizona Collaborative for Excellence in the Preparation of Teachers (ACEPT) was accepted and used in the present study. To investigate teachers’ constructivist teaching quality in the context of reformed teaching curriculum, the researchers developed an observation protocol called Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol (RTOP). This protocol has been used by many science education researchers widely in their research that investigate the quality of constructivist-based science teaching (e.g., Campbell et al., 2010; Lawson et al., 2002). Since the recent Turkish elementary science curriculum has been based on the constructivist approach, the model developed by ACEPT and the protocol (RTOP) was appropriate for the assessment of PST’s quality of science teaching. Therefore, the Turkish-validated version of the RTOP (Authors, in review) was used by the present researchers to explore PST’s quality of science teaching.
Recent education program suggest the constructivist-based science teaching in Turkey. During professional education, PST took several practicum courses including microteaching and constructivist-based teaching methods such as 5-E instructional model. However, there were many problems about implementing constructivist-based teaching methods in science lessons by in-service teachers in elementary schools (Akpınar & Ergin, 2005a; Akpınar & Ergin, 2005b). Most problems are stemmed from the fact that many in-service teachers are unfamiliar with constructivist-based teaching methods. Thus, describing future teachers’ readiness about the implementing constructivist-based teaching, and exploring the potential factors that may influence teachers’ science teaching practices have an importance for science education researchers. In addition, enriching understanding about epistemological beliefs and the extent to which these epistemological beliefs can influence PST’s instruction quality and their future teaching are of special concern in teacher education (Authors, 2011). Therefore, with the current study, the researchers aim to investigate the relationships, if any, between PST’s epistemological beliefs and the quality of science teaching.
Method
Expected Outcomes
References
Authors (2006; 2008; 2011; in review). Akpınar, E. & Ergin, Ö. (2005a). Hacettepe Journal of Faculty of Education, 29, 9-17. Akpınar, E. & Ergin, Ö. (2005b). Elementary-Online, 4(2), 55-64. Campbell, T. et al. (2010). Journal of Science Teacher Education, 21, 13–30. Cheng, M. M. H et al. (2009). Teaching and Teacher Education, 25, 319–327. Jones, M.G., & Carter. G. (2006). Science teacher attitudes and beliefs. In Handbook of research on science education,1067–104. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.. Lawson, A. et al. (2002). Journal of College Science Teaching, 31(6), 388-393. Schommer, M. (1990). Journal of Educational Psychology, 82, 498–504. Schommer-Aikins, M. (2002). In Personal epistemology: The psychology of beliefs about knowledge and knowing, 103–118. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Schraw, G., & Olafson, L. (2002). Issues in Education, 8(2), 99–149.
Search the ECER Programme
- Search for keywords and phrases in "Text Search"
- Restrict in which part of the abstracts to search in "Where to search"
- Search for authors and in the respective field.
- For planning your conference attendance you may want to use the conference app, which will be issued some weeks before the conference
- If you are a session chair, best look up your chairing duties in the conference system (Conftool) or the app.