Pre-service Science Teachers' Views on Laboratory Applications in Science Education: The Effect of a Two-semester Course

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine pre-service science teachers' views about laboratory applications in science education and how their views changed through laboratory applications that were carried out for two semesters. 63 (52 females, 11 males) pre-service teachers participated in the study. The study was carried out by using pre-test and post-test design. Data was collected on the differences between the views of pre-service science teachers before and after laboratory courses. For data collection, teachers were given forms including 3 open-ended questions. Data analysis was carried out through qualitative content analysis. The results showed that pre-service teachers defined laboratory as " a place of application " , and after laboratory applications, they could give more comprehensive definitions about laboratory. The most popular answers pertaining to the aim of laboratory applications included effective learning, permanent learning, ending rote learning, and better understanding, faster learning and learning with fun. Along with the quality of learning, participants attached importance to the methods and techniques to be utilized in lab setting to reach that desired quality. Their focus was predominantly on visualizing, experimental learning, materializing of the theoretical information through application and observation. Study showed that they mostly attributed the importance of laboratories to the quality of learning and methods were expressed as visualizing, materializing and application, observation and experiment for the quality of learning.