IN-SERVICE TRAINING OF SCIENCE /PHYSICS TEACHERS-II:
DIFFICULTIES IN TEACHING AND TEACHERS’ NEEDS
()
(2)
Researcher; Trakya University, Faculty of Education, Edirne, Turkey
PhD; Trakya University Tekirdag Higher Vocational School, Tekirdag, Turkey
(3)
Adviser; The Turkish Physics Foundation, Ankara, Turkey
ABSTRACT
This study was done to determine teaching difficulties and in-service needs of the science/physics teachers
working in both upper primary schools and high schools in Turkey. Data were collected by mail from the 1010
science/physics teachers selected by means of stratified sampling from seven geographical districts in Turkey.
This study is a small part of ongoing project and descriptive research in detail. In the study, indicators are
determined by taking into account many variables and factors, and relations among variables are then examined.
Key Words: Science/Physics Teaching, Training of Science/Physics Teachers
1. INTRODUCTION
We recognize that all countries face challenges in preparing and maintaining a high quality
teaching force of professionals who can teach some particular subjects, e.g. mathematics,
science/physics effectively, and who can help prepare young people for successful adult lives
and for participation in the development and progress of society. Systems of teacher
education, both initial and continuing, are built on features that are embedded in culture and
the organization and nature of schooling. What teachers of science/physics know, care about,
and do is a product of their experiences and socialization both prior to and after entering
teaching, together with the impact of their professional education. This impact is variously
significant: In some systems, the effects of professional education appear to be weak or even
negligible, whereas other systems are structured to support effective ongoing professional
education and instructional improvement. Nevertheless, science educators in every country
find out teachers’ needs and design new course materials to use in various in-service
education and training (INSET), e.g. conceptual learning, lab activities, use of ICTs in
teaching and learning science, assessment etc. The present study is a small part of the ongoing
project in Turkey, and it has been carried out by a team of researchers and the involvements
of various universities, the Turkish Foundation of Physics (TFV) and the help of Ministry of
National Education (MEB). Therefore, here we prescribe only science/physics teachers’
backgrounds and their views about needs to in-service seminar/workshop listed in the
instrument of the gathering data.
Among others, teachers' knowledge of science is crucial to improve student performance in
science but not enough. Teacher’s expertises on how to teach science strengthens his/her
performance help the design of instructional materials and implementations. Science teachers
should possess a conceptual understanding of science, its applications, and the nature and
history of science etc. Moreover, science teacher should have a wide variety of interests and
the ability to utilize their interests to excite and motivate students. The more varied the
techniques teacher can use, like a video, computer, games; they’re more interesting to kids
because teacher keep changing the activity (Ruthven et al. 2004). Science teacher should use
computer, internet and other technologies. Using this technology, teachers can overcome
some common mistakes and misconceptions of students more efficiently.
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There are various problems and issues related to science/physics education in almost all
countries, especially developing countries. Some of them change continuously because of
financial constraints and neglecting necessary reforms in education and not considering
various innovations in general. In this respect, quality of mathematics, science/physics and
technology education in school of the developing countries is one of the leading problems
which must not be ignored and which needs reconsideration and resolutions. Therefore, the
professional development of teachers and their competence should be one of the focuses for
the innovation in schools. More specifically, it is obvious that an individual being trained with
yesterday understands and approaches both cannot be effective in the information society and
can have trouble in life-long learning. Because, in each modern society individuals are
wanted and expected to be able to apply the scientific thinking process to their daily life, to
use technological devices purposely, to access information easily and to reproduce new
information and knowledge. Thus, teachers have to be educated and trained well in preservice training, have chances for professional development during in-service and be
competent in their professions. In this respect, the difficulties that science/physics teachers
face on and their needs to INSET are to be investigated and reported. As a research team, we
have attempted to investigate a randomly selected group of science/physics teachers’ needs in
Turkey and report a small part of findings in the present study.
2. METHOD
Here we explain the aim and the problem of a small part of ongoing project very briely.
2.1. Aim, Research Problem and Variables
Aim: The general aim of the present study is to determine “Science/Physics teachers’
teaching difficulties and the needs to Seminar/Workshop that they want to participate in.
Research Problem: What are science/physics teachers’ teaching difficulties that they want
to participate in Seminar/Workshop activities for improving the situation and feeling more
competent?
Variables: In the present research problem, six independent and thirty dependent variables
have been considered to determine the correlations and to prescribe interrelationships among
them. Independent variables are related to the teachers’ background. They are: gender, the
university he/she graduated, the school type he/she teaches, professional experience, teaching
branch and self-evaluation of competence. The dependent variations are various matters
considered in the sub-problems, and consists teachers’ views about and needs to the
Seminar/Workshop, etc.
2.2. Population and Sample
The population is all science/physics teachers who teach at state or private schools of different
cities in Turkey’s seven geographic regions (Aegean, Marmara, Mediterranean, Black Sea,
Middle Anatolia, Eastern Anatolia, South-East Anatolia) in 2003-04 school years. The sample
has been determined by a multi-phase model of sampling. At first, the population has been
divided into seven sub-categories. It has been considered that choosing two cities in each
region will represent the target population of upper-primary and high schools (lyceum). To
choose these cities, a list which consists of the numbers of science/physics teachers at state
and private schools in the cities of each region has been formed. In each region, two big cities
that have both private schools and science schools and also have more science/physics
teachers than other cities have been chosen. Because the numbers of private schools and their
teachers are less than the other regions, choosing 3 cities both from South-east and Eastern
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Anatolia regions have been seen fit to that1010 science/physics teachers who teach in 16
cities, determined by this way, form the sample of research.
2.3. Instruments of Gathering Data
In the present research, a questionnaire has been used as means of gathering necessary data.
While designing and developing the questionnaire usual procedure was applied by the
researchers. First, item-pools were generated by studying the researchers which have been
made both in Turkey and abroad, the important and relevant items had been chosen by means
of the experts’ views. Then a small-scaled pilot-study about its feasibility has been designed
and realized. After reviewing of pre-research’s results, the reliable form of the questionnaire,
i.e. the instrument of gathering data, has been available to apply in the field. The
questionnaire has several parts and some of which are in the form of Likert-type scale to find
out teachers’ views about teaching difficulties and needs to Seminar/Workshop activities that
they want to participate in. The reliability of the instrument, i.e. Cronbach Alpha coefficient,
is 0.95.
3. ANALYSIS OF DATA AND FINDINGS
By using the questionnaire, basic data were gathered from the teachers who work in various
schools in 16 cities of Turkey. Data analysis has been made by using SPSS packet
programme. Results of some findings and their interpretation have been explained below.
3.1. Science Teachers’ Background
All of the teachers who participate in the study live in urban areas, i.e. moderately developed
16 cities and work either general science teachers in upper-primary schools or physics
teachers in high schools. Among them, 523 of the subjects (52%) are male, 431 of them
(43%) are female, and 56 of them (5%) haven’t stated their gender. From those who reply the
items in the questionnaire; 206 of them (21%) have 2-3 year more education in higher
education institutions after graduating high schools, 111 of them (11%) completing-bachelor’s
degree, 426 of them (44%) have graduated from faculty of education (i.e. the main resource of
teaching force), 139 of them (14%) have bachelor’s degree plus teaching certificate, 70 of
them (7%) have postgraduate degree, 29 of them (3%) have graduated from various faculties
of universities. The teachers involved in the study seem to have the necessary background to
teach science in general, and have a professional degree or certificate for teaching. The
teachers stated where they teach in the following schools: 542 of them (54%) teach at upperprimary schools, 389 of them (38%) teach at secondary schools, 79 of them (8%) haven’t
stated their schools.
The test-subject teachers have those experiences as : 102 of them (10%) have an experience of
0-5 years, 227 of them (23%) have 6-11 years, 212 of them (21%) have 12-17 years, 182 of
them (18%) have 18-23 years, 143 of them (14%) have 24-29 years, 100 of them (10%) 25-35
years, 44 of them (4%) haven’t replied that. The test subject teachers have these branches as:
333 of them (33%) with the branch of science, 504 of them (50%) with physics, 69 of them
(7%) with chemistry, 64 of them (6%) with biology, 6 of them (1%) with other branches, 28
of them (3%) haven’t answered the item.
3.2. Needs Assessment of Teachers about Seminar/Workshop Topics
In the designed questionnaire, we attempted to find out to what extent the science/physics
teachers needs seminars/workshop on certain selected topics and issues. In the questionnaire
we asked the teachers to point out the topic with a mark which indicated the rate that you have
difficulties to teach and need to a seminar and/or workshop. The rates are the following: Too
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much (5), much (4), moderate (3), little (2), none (1). To overcome the misunderstanding, the
goal of each seminar/workshop is explained in a few words.
The results of the teachers’ responses are displayed in Table 1 with the mean and standard
deviation. If the mean, =4.00 and above the topics are regarded to be at very high-level that
teachers want to participate in the activity. Then the overall average of 15 topics in three subareas are calculated and found that it is =3.10, i.e. above the point that indicates moderate
level, so that they should be considered first and more.
Table 1. Seminar/Workshop Topics that Teachers Want to Participate
mean
sd
s
FS-01: Misconceptions and common mistakes in science/physics
2,85
1,24
FS-02: Concept development and concept maps in science education
2,94
1,22
FS-03: Basic skills for laboratory activities
3,36
1,29
FS-04: Project-based science teaching and evaluation criteria
3,43
1,20
FS-05: Technology-supported science/physics teaching
3,59
1,24
FS-06: Computer-supported science/physics teaching
3,68
1,27
Sample of Various Topics for Seminars
Topics on Science/Physics Teaching
Topics on Inter Mathematics and Science
s
MS-01: Measurement, errors and calculations
2,68
1,20
MS-02: Data collection, handling, presentation and interpretation
2,85
1,21
MS-03: Graphical representation and mathematical relations-Modeling
2,91
1,24
MS-04: Scientific thinking and problem solving
3,12
1,32
Topics on Professional Development
s
YS-01: Co-operating learning process and activities
3,00
1,25
YS-02: Designing and developing work-sheets for students
2,98
1,27
YS-03: Designing and developing activities for effective teaching
3,20
1,39
YS-04: Theme-based teaching approach and integrated activities
2,92
1,20
YS-05: Problem case teaching approach and finding activities.
2,97
1,21
As a result, it may be stated that teachers want to participate more in Seminar/Workshop
activities entitled as: “FS-03: Basic skills for laboratory activities” ( =3.36), “FS-04:
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Project-based science teaching and evaluation criteria” ( =3.43), “FS-05: Technologysupported science/physics teaching” ( =3.59), “FS-06: Computer-supported science/physics
teaching” ( =3.68). In addition to some FS topics “MS-04: Scientific thinking and problem
solving” ( =3.12) and “YS-03: Designing and developing activities for effective teaching”
should be topics of seminars/workshop that science/physics teachers would like to participate
in. When figures in Table 1 are compared, it is seen that teachers mostly want to participate in
“Computer-supported science/physics teaching” ( =3.68). Rutherford states that “teacher
must learn how to locate appropriate sources of information and link them effectively to the
topics being studied; how to help students use computers and the Internet effectively in the
context of course content, how to use computers on behalf of their own continuing education”
(Rutherford,2004). In the seminars/workshop about teaching science/physics with the use of
computer and technology we have observed that the teachers have various difficulties in
project-base teaching approach. Its reason may be explained as these subjects have just started
to be taught in graduation level.
4. CONCLUDING REMARKS
The professional development of teachers is a crucial issue in the effort to build up an
effective system of science/physics education in every country. Teacher education is a vast
enterprise, and although research on science/physics teacher education is relatively new in
Turkey, it is also rapidly expanding. We have more to understand about how teacher
education can be an effective intervention in the complex process of learning to teach science,
which is all too often most influenced by teachers’ prior experiences as learners, or by the
contexts of their professional work. With this respect, needs assessment is necessary to design
an effective INSET program and improve the current situation. Therefore, we attempted to
investigate teachers’ difficulties and needs to the professional development in Turkey, and
found that most teachers were interested in participating in a certain group of seminars and
workshops.
Based on the results and our own experiences, we want to stress some points below to the
attention of the relevant people.
 Intensive INSET activities should be organized about science teaching/education
supported by technology and computers.
 Laboratories should be supplied with technological experiment sets in addition to
simple tools-equipments.
 Rather effective in-service education seminars with the cooperation of the Ministry of
National Education (MoNE)-Universities should be organized for a group of teachers
who will be leaders and have roles in various INSET programmes.
REFERENCES
Rutherford, J., (2004). Technology in the schools. Technology in Society, 26, 149-160.
Ruthven, K., Hennessy, S., Brindley, S., (2004). Teacher representations of the successful use
of computer-based tools and resources in secondary-school English, mathematics and
science. Teaching and Teacher Education, 20, 259-275.
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