The Effect of POE Activities Supported by Concept Networks on Laboratory Attitudes, Anxieties and Scientific Process Skills of Pre-Service Science Teachers

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to see if the Concept Network Supported Prediction-Observation-Explanation (POE) method had a meaningful impact on 1st grade pre-service science teachers’ attitudes, anxiety, and scientific process skills toward the physics laboratory when compared to the traditional laboratory method. The current research was performed in the autumn term of the 2018-2019 academic year at a state university in Ankara province, using a quasi-experimental design with a pretest and posttest control group. A total of 35 pre-service teachers were comprised in this research. In the experimental group, Concept Network Supported POE activities were employed, whereas in the control group, the “Mechanics Laboratory-I” experiment sheet from the present program was used. The research took ten weeks to complete. The Scientific Process Skill Test, the Attitude Scale towards the Physics Laboratory, and the Anxiety Scale towards the Physics Laboratory were used as “pre-test and post-test” throughout the study. The data gathered within this research was analyzed by making use of “Independent groups t-test”, “Dependent groups t-test” and “Mann Whitney-U test”. In addition, at the end of the semester, a Preservice Science Teacher Opinion Form for Prediction-Observation-Explanation Method was employed to obtain the results. While POE method exercises resulted in a significant difference (p