An evaluation of the classroom teachers’ attitudes towards the constructivist approach according to complexity theory: A case of Mersin

Abstract

The major aim in this research was to analyze the relationship between the attitudes of primary school teachers towards the constructivist approach and the complexity features (gender, age, the grade they teach, professional seniority, the type of school where they carry out their duties and the school where they graduated from). The research was a descriptive study based on the single screening model. In order to determine the attitudes of primary school teachers towards the constructivist approach, a “Constructivist Approach Attitude Scale” developed by Evrekli et al. (2009) was adopted; and in order to determine the complexity features of primary school teachers, a “Complexity Information Form for Primary School Teachers” was used. The evaluation instruments were administered to 504 primary school teachers carrying out their duties in 32 primary schools in Akdeniz, Yenişehir, Toroslar and Mezitli central districts of Mersin province. According to the research results, the variables that affected the attitude towards the constructivist approach and created complexity were related to the gender of primary school teachers, their age, the grade they teach, their professional seniority, the type of school where they carry out their duties and the school they graduated from. The research revealed that majority of primary school teachers had a positive attitude towards the constructivist approach in terms of their views and there was no significant difference between their attitudes towards the constructivist approach and their gender, age and the grade they teach.