The views of academicians about problems in the science teacher education departments and their proposed solutions

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to identify the views of academicians about the problems in the undergraduate education process in which the Science teachers are educated, and to propose solutions to these problems. The study was designed as a case study. The working group of the research consisted of 29 instructors who work in the Science Teaching Undergraduate Programs in Turkey. The data were obtained via a structured interview form composed of demographic information and open ended questions. The data were analysed using content analysis method. As a result of the research, the problems that affect Science teaching improvement in Turkey negatively are summarized under three main headings: problems arising from the undergraduate student admission phase, problems related to the content of the undergraduate program, and issues related to the undergraduate education process. For solutions to these problems, the study offers suggestions: student and teacher selection system should be changed to measure personal and professional skills, the number of students should be decreased, infrastructure deficiencies should be corrected, quality and quantity of the instructors should be increased, personal rights of the education employees should be improved, and common opinion and strategies should be determined through organizing workshops with the participation of all stakeholders.