Examining cognitive structures of prospective preschool teachers concerning the subject “force and motion"

Abstract

AbstractThe purpose of this study is to identify the cognitive structures of prospective preschool teachers concerning the concepts included in the subject and motion. The study was conducted on a total of 56 prospective teachers who studied Preschool Teaching at Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University. The Word Association Test (WAT) was employed to reveal their cognitive structures. In addition, each participant was asked to build up a sentence with each keyword, which, in turn, enabled their misconceptions and conceptual change processes to be disclosed. The WAT included 10 keywords related to the subject and motion. Arranged to evaluate the results of the WAT, the frequency table presented the number of times each answer was repeated. A conceptual network was formed on the basis of the frequency table. The network was created through the technique cut-offpoint in order to reveal the conceptual changes in a decisive manner. It was found that the prospective teachers had misconceptions about such concepts as mass, weight, velocity, acceleration, frictional force and gravitational force, and that they had built up non-scientific sentences. It was concluded that the prospective teachers had not been able to internalize the subject and motion.Key WordsProspective Preschool Teachers, Cognitive Structure, Word Association, Misconceptions.Science education enables individuals to know what is happening in their environment and nature, to comprehend relationships, to observe things, to interpret information and to acquire scientific process skills (Hamurcu, 2003). One of the main objectives of science education is to provide individuals with the ability not to memorize information they learn at all educational stages, starting from primary school, but to integrate this information with situations they experience in later stages of their life (Bilgin & Geban, 2004; Demirbas & Yagbasan, 2006). Therefore, in order to learn scientific subjects included in the curriculum in a proper way, students need to internalize and develop a positive attitude towards them (Erdemir & Bakirci, 2009). education can be made efficient only if sufficient importance is attached to it starting from primary education. In the early 1960s, Jean Piaget's studies led to an increase in the interest in science teaching for preschool and primary school students. It is a known fact that information that students acquire especially during their preschool years is more permanent and provides a basis for future learning (Kucukturan, Ozturk, & Cihangir, 2000). Especially during their preschool years, children are open to learning thanks to their sense of wonder and tend to learn things by using all their senses. They observe what is going on in the outside world and start forming their own hypotheses and using their own science/scientific processes (Karamustafaoglu & Ustun, 2006; Ozbey & Alisinanoglu, 2010; Ozdemir & Uzun, 2006; Unal & Akman, 2006). Children begin acquiring scientific concepts during their preschool years. Most of these desired concepts are taught through various activities (Ayvaci, 2010; Ozbey & Alisinanoglu). All things considered, it is essential that attempts should be made to reveal the cognitive structures and existing misconceptions of third grade prospective preschool teachers concerning the subject and motion.The reason why the study was conducted on third grade students is that students of preschool teaching take the course Science Education in their third years. It is essential that children should be supported to have a positive attitude towards science and every single question raised by them should be meticulously discussed and answered. The reason for this is that teachers with interest in and passion for science and reasoning qualities are likely to be a positive role model for children. Teachers should be able to attract children to all kinds of scientific activities and exercises. …