The aim of this study is to investigate the views of preservice science teachers on science-technology-society, STS, issue. A total of 176 preservice science teachers participated in the study. A 26-item &ldquo / Views on Science-Technology-Society (VOSTS)&rdquo / instrument, translated and adapted into Turkish, were utilized to assess participants&rsquo / views on STS. The VOSTS (Aikenhead, Ryan and Fleming, 1989) is a pool of 114 empirically developed multiple-choice items with nine categories. In order to understand participants&rsquo / views on STS in depth, semi-structured interviews were also conducted by 9 volunteer preservice science teachers. The results gave a colorful picture of the views of preservice science teachers on science-technology-society issue. The analysis revealed that preservice science teachers often confuse the definitions of technology with science. Most of the participants of the study had specific views about the reasons of doing scientific researches in their country, for example, to be independent from other countries, to get financial profit. Results displayed a consensus on the possible positive effects of upbringing and the importance of education given to high school students. According to the data obtained from the present study, respondents possess varied views about the influences of society on science and technology. While preservice science teachers claiming that scientists could break the rules of science, they also claimed scientists as objective in their study. On the other hand, participants supported the view that scientists&rsquo / concern on all the effects of their experiments. Preservice science teachers advocated also that technological developments can be controlled by citizens.

This study indented to explore preservice elementary and secondary science teacher&rsquo / s perception of their professional roles and investigate their reasons of choosing teaching as a profession. To explore the perception of professional roles, metaphorical images were also used as a tool. The present study was conducted during the spring semester of 2004-2005 academic year with a total number of 441 (n=287 females / n=153 males and n=1 gender not provided) senior preservice elementary and secondary science teachers who enrolled in the elementary science and secondary science (biology, physics and chemistry) teacher education programs of three different universities in Ankara. Data were collected utilizing a questionnaire developed by Saban (2003) composed of five basic sections which investigates the participant&rsquo / s perception of teaching as a profession and their roles in instruction process and reasons of choosing teaching as a profession. Data of the present study were analyzed utilizing descriptive and inferential statistics. Analysis of the data showed that preservice teachers perceive their roles mostly with student-centered metaphors and define their selves as pedagogical expert who fosters student&rsquo / s social, emotional, and moral growth. Besides, most of the preservice teachers have altruistic reasons to choose teaching as a profession.

This study examined preservice science teachers&rsquo / conceptions about teaching and learning, self-efficacy beliefs, learning approaches and images of themselves as a science teachers. The study was also interested in examining the possible relationships among preservice science teachers&rsquo / conceptions about teaching and learning, learning approaches and self-efficacy beliefs. The study was carried out during 2011-2012 spring semester at three different public universities in Ankara. A total of 208 senior preservice science teachers who were volunteers involved. Data were collected through Draw-A-Science-Teacher-Test Checklist, Teaching and Learning Conceptions Questionnaire, Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument, and The Learning Approach Questionnaire and analyzed by descriptive statistics, paired-sample t-test and canonical correlation analysis. Paired-sample t-test analyses results showed that preservice science teachers prefer constructivist conception more than traditional conception / and meaningful learning approaches more than rote learning approaches. Besides, preservice science teachers were also found to have generally high sense of self-efficacy beliefs in science teaching. Moreover, the results of the DASTT-C showed that preservice science teachers&rsquo / perspectives of science teaching conception is 42.7% student-centered, 7.0% teacher-centered and 50.3% neither student-centered nor teacher-centered. Furthermore, the canonical correlation analysis revealed that the first canonical variate demonstrated that preservice science teachers&rsquo / constructivist conception and traditional conception are associated with their self-efficacy beliefs and learning approaches.

The main purpose of this study was to explore Preservice Science Teachers&rsquo / (PSTs) informal reasoning regarding socioscientific issues (SSI). The study first investigated PSTs&rsquo / informal reasoning patterns / second, explored the relationship between informal reasoning patterns and quality / third, examined the variation of informal reasoning quality with SSI / at last, focused on the factors influencing PSTs&rsquo / informal reasoning in the context of SSI. Totally, 39 PSTs voluntarily participated in the study. Senior elementary PSTs from a public university, in Ankara constituted the sample of this study. Seven SSI were used to explore informal reasoning and influencing factors. Three SSI dealt with gene therapy and, the other three issues dealt with cloning. The last issue dealt with global warming. PSTs&rsquo / informal reasoning and the factors influencing the participants&rsquo / informal reasoning in the context of SSI were analyzed by using constant comparative data analysis method (Glaser &amp / Strauss, 1967). Two interview protocols were used in the present study. Informal Reasoning Interview protocol focused on the investigation of informal reasoning, and Moral Decision-Making Interview protocol was used to identify informal reasoning and the factors influencing informal reasoning. Emergent informal reasoning patterns from the present study were: rationalistic, emotive, and intuitive informal reasoning patterns. Regarding informal reasoning quality, across each SSI, the participants easily revealed claim with or without justification but they hardly developed counter-position and rebuttal. Emergent frequency of informal reasoning quality types followed the same order across each SSI. Thus, informal reasoning quality was not context-dependent across all SSI. Main factors influencing participants&rsquo / informal reasoning were accumulated under four main categories / personal experiences, social considerations, moral-ethical considerations, and technological concerns.

The purposes of this study were to explore understanding of preservice science teachers&rsquo / (PSTs) nature of science (NOS) views during the explicit-reflective and inquiry-based laboratory instruction and investigate PSTs&rsquo / perspectives and experiences related to learning NOS aspects in the science laboratory course. This study was carried out during the Laboratory Application in Science II course. A total of 45 PSTs participated to the study. The design of the study was qualitative and exploratory in nature. In the initial phase of the study, the researcher collected qualitative data with open-ended questionnaire to explore PSTs&rsquo / NOS views. Then, during the semester, reflection papers were collected to understand PSTs&rsquo / experiences with the intervention and to detect development about each NOS aspect. At the end of the semester, qualitative questionnaire and semi-structured interviews were conducted to determine the impact of the explicit-reflective and inquiry-based laboratory instruction. The results showed that all of the PSTs were able to make appropriate connections among the laboratory activities and the targeted NOS aspects at the end of the instruction. In addition, many PSTs developed their understanding levels of each aspect of nature of science. Moreover, findings revealed that some of the PSTs made connections among NOS aspects. Three main factors / discussions and presentations, using inquiry skills, and doing inquiry-based laboratory activities were determined as provide to PSTs to develop their NOS understanding. Furthermore, at the end PSTs developed their perspectives about teaching NOS.

The purpose of this study was to investigate preservice science teachers&rsquo / mental models about the role and distribution of ozone layer and ozone layer depletion regarding their ontological orientation. This study was conducted with twenty four preservice science teachers who were enrolled in Elementary Science Education Program of Education Faculty of one public university located in Central Anatolia. From each grade level six preservice science teachers were selected / two from low achiever, two from middle achiever and two from high achiever. Moreover, in the study, data were collected by using semi structured interview and interview consists of eleven questions and with five questions having multiple parts. Interview recordings were transcribed and analyzed qualitatively. In the following steps of the analysis, researcher proceeded with the already formed and described codes in an easygoing way. The results revealed that preservice science teachers&rsquo / responses were mostly seen as skin cancer and sunburn as harmful effects of ultraviolet rays and preservice science teachers&rsquo / responses were mostly seen as activation vitamin D and photosynthesis of plants as beneficial effects of Sun&rsquo / s rays. Half of preservice science teachers thought that ozone layer exists in the atmosphere. Moreover, preservice science teachers&rsquo / responses were mostly seen as perfume, deodorant, car, and spray as harmful materials to ozone layer. Chlorofluorocarbon, carbon monoxide, and carbon-dioxide were the most seen responses as harmful chemicals to ozone layer. Similar misconceptions were identified when compared with past studies. Also, different misconceptions were found in the study. Ten distinct models were formed regarding role and distribution of ozone layer and five distinct models were formed regarding ozone layer depletion. Moreover, absorbing and reflecting surface was mostly seen ontological belief regarding role and distribution of ozone layer. Hole was mostly seen ontological belief regarding ozone layer depletion. Generally, achievement and grade level did not make difference among preservice science teachers forming which type of mental models and having ontological beliefs.

The aim of this study is to investigate the views of preservice science teachers on nature of science (NOS). A total of 166 preservice science teachers participated in the study. A 21-item &ldquo / Views on Science-Technology-Society (VOSTS)&rdquo / instrument, translated and adapted into Turkish, were utilized to assess participants&rsquo / views on the nature of science. The VOSTS (Aikenhead, Ryan and Fleming, 1989) is a pool of 114 empirically developed multiple-choice items with nine categories. In this study, 21 item selected from the epistemology of science category corresponded to the purposes of the assessment. In order to understand participants&rsquo / views on nature of science in depth, semi-structured interviews were also conducted by 9 volunteer preservice science teachers. The results gave a picture of the preservice science teachers&rsquo / views on nature of science. Results of this study revealed preservice science teachers&rsquo / misconceptions on nature of science. Their views are mostly traditional on the nature of science. Results of the study indicated that preservice science teachers held traditional views (naive) regarding the definition of science / the nature of scientific models / the relationships between hypotheses, theories, and laws / fundamental assumptions for all science / the scientific method / uncertainty in scientific knowledge / epistemological status of scientific knowledge / coherence of concepts across disciplines. On the other hand participants have contemporary views (realistic) on the nature of observation / the nature of classification schemes / the tentativeness of scientific knowledge / cause and effect relationship. Analysis of interviews also supported these findings and gave a deep insight on preservice science teachers&rsquo / views on nature of science.