Determining biology teacher candidates' conceptual structures about energy and attitudes towards energy

Abstract

The aim of the current study is to investigate biology teacher candidates' cognitive structures related to "energy". As the research design of the study, the case study was applied. The data were collected from 44 Biology teacher candidates. The free word-association test, the drawing-writing technique and the semantic differential attitude scale were used as data collection instruments. The data were subject to content analysis and divided into categories through coding. In the analysis, the categories were formed and determined through the results of word-association test and drawingwriting test which were completed by the biology teacher candidates. With the help of these categories, the cognitive structures of biology teacher candidates were explained. These categories were determined as biological energy-metabolism, energy resources in the nature- types of energy- renewable energy and energy for life continuity. The semantic attitudes of Biology teacher candidates toward energy were found to be positive. On the other hand, it was determined that biology teacher candidates had misconceptions related to energy.