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Socioscientific issues (SSIs) have a scientific basis, have a dilemma in their nature and are often discussed under political and social influences. Teachers perceive SSIs as a difficult subject to teach. This project was carried out to guide teachers in overcoming this difficulty and to enable them to include practices that they can adapt more easily to their lessons. The purpose of the current study is to evaluate the views of science teachers on the teaching of SSIs and the project carried out within the scope of a funding project for teaching SSIs. The study was designed according to a single-group pre-test post-test experimental design. The study group the study comprises teachers from different branches of science (15 middle school science teachers, four biology teachers, three physics teachers and two chemistry teachers) from various provinces of Türkiye. As the data collection tools of the study, the Project Participation Form, the Scale of Views on Teaching Socioscientific Issues, the Know-Want-Learn Form and the Project Evaluation Form were used. Quantitative and qualitative data analysis methods were used together in the evaluation of the data. Because of the study, the implemented project activities contributed to the development of the participants' views on the teaching of SSIs and caused a positive development in their views on the project. Suggestions were made considering the results of the project so that guidance could be provided for teachers and teacher educators.

Technology transfer to classes has become very important for teachers, regardless of their field. The purpose of this study is to determine how pre-service teachers with high and low level of technological selfefficacy beliefs are predicted by the independent variables. These variables are attitude towards technology, attitude towards instructional technologies and material design course, having a personal computer. The study sample of this relational study consisted of 193 pre-service teachers. As data collection tools, Technological Self-Efficacy Belief Scale, Attitude towards Technology Scale, Attitude towards Instructional Technologies Scale, and a questionnaire developed by researchers were administered. Logistic regression analysis, which is used when the dependent variable is categorical, was employed in data analysis. According to analysis results, the variables of having a personal computer (Wald = 4.23, df = 1, p < 0.05), attitude towards technology (Wald = 13.66, df = 1, p < 0.01) and attitude towards instructional technologies and material design course (Wald = 6.17, df = 1, p < 0.01) had a significant effect on pre-service teachers' technological self-efficacy beliefs. Particularly, the variable of having a personal computer significantly increased pre-service teachers' technological self-efficacy beliefs by 20%. In this context, various recommendations were offered to the researchers, institutions and instructors.

This paper aimed to assess improvements in content knowledge and argumentation quality of pre-service science teachers (PST) through a socio-scientific issues-based (SSI-based) module course. The study was designed as action research with 25 PSTs. Data collection instruments were an energy-related content knowledge questionnaire and video recordings. An energy-related content knowledge rubric was used to evaluate the content knowledge of PSTs, while their argumentation quality was analyzed using a video analysis inventory. The module course was completed in eight weeks. Findings showed that the SSI-based teaching modules course improved energy-related content knowledge with all PSTs increasing by a minimum of one criterion on the rubric. Although the number of arguments decreased weekly, the argumentation quality also increased. Thus, it can be inferred that SSI-based module teaching is a practical tool to teach energy-related content knowledge and argumentation qualities. The study suggests that action research can contribute to developing an effective learning environment. Further studies that include the actual practices of PSTs as they reflect and revise their learning are indicated.

Socioscientific issues (SSIs) have gained recently more importance in science education. SSIs are an important component of scientific literacy. SSIs are social dilemmas including conceptual or technological links to science. The present study aims to determine SSIs related research trends via content analyses of the articles published from 2004 to 2015 in five selected science education journals (SE, JRST, S&E, IJSE and RSE). Therefore, first, five journals with the highest impact factor were selected. Then, SSIs related papers were determined using electronic database search and thus 122 SSIs related articles were analyzed to determine trends in timeline, research types, related research topics, and research sample groups. The results show that SSIs related articles increased steadily leading to a peak in 2012 with the highest publishing rate in IJSE. Most of the SSIs related research employed qualitative methods. The highest rate of SSIs related qualitative studies was determined in IJSE (50.00%), and the lowest in S&E (3.57%). However quantitative methods were employed the least. In the relevant SSIs related research published about argumentation, decision-making, and informal reasoning were the most frequent SSIs related topics. The most studied research sample groups consisted of junior and senior high school students. Preschoolers were not among the sample groups. These findings indicate SSIs progressed throughout the years for paving the way for further SSIs related research studies.

Socioscientific issues (SSIs), which are an important component of scientific literacy in science education, are scientific-based issues with dilemmas and no clear answers. SSIs can be local issues that affect a region or global issues that affect the world. This study aimed to investigate informal reasoning (IR) patterns and their influencing factors on science teachers about local SSIs. The research was designedas a case study. The participants consisted of 38 science teachers from various provinces of Central Anatolia, where the local features of context were at the forefront. Teachers were asked to form an IR about the texts with dilemmas addressed to them. Using content analysis, teachers' IR patterns were based on rationalistic, emotive, and intuitive reasoning; factors affecting their reasoning were analyzed according to sociology-culture, environment, economy, science, technology, ethics-morality, and policy (SEE-STEP). In the results, science teachers mostly use rationalistic IR and rationalistic and intuitive IR patterns about energyrelated local SSIs. While the factors that most influence teachers' IR regarding local SSIs are economy and environment, the factor that least influences their IR is ethics. As a result of the study, IR is closely related to the context and environmental/socio-cultural background that can influence IR. Based on the result that teachers' IR is affected by the content, the main suggestion of this study is to investigate the IR of different contents in local SSIs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The proliferation of digital information technologies has underscored the heightened necessity for online information search. This study is directed towards the analysis of the strategies adopted by prospective teachers in the selection of digital content employed for accessing information, their preferences concerning the use of digital and online tools, and the rationale that underpins these preferences. To achieve this aim, the case study method was used. Employing the purposive sampling method, the study involved a participant pool of 72 teacher candidates in the 3rd and 4th grades within the faculties of education. To collect data, a personal information form, an online interview form, a focus group interview form, and a word association test were employed. The data were analyzed using the content and descriptive analysis methods. At the end of the study, the prospective teachers expressed a common tendency that when it comes to scientific research, they often prefer to search for articles whereas for more general inquiries, they have a propensity for utilizing internet searches. Most of the prospective teachers follow a step-by-step research process when accessing information. In addition, they employ both goal-oriented and general-content resources while in pursuit of scientific information. They pay attention to data reliability, accurate information, speed, and access to the Internet in the process of obtaining information. They consider the tools they use adequate and reliable. Teacher candidates establish complex conceptual networks among the array of tools they employ to access information. A comprehensive discussion concerning the outcomes of the research is also presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Biodiversity is discussed in the context of socio-scientific issues, which play an important role in providing science-society interaction in science education. Biodiversity can help the sustainable environmental movement by contributing to the scientific, political and economic development and progress of societies in various social aspects, with its dilemma features by its nature. This study, it is aimed to analysis of pre-service science teachers' biodiversity images according to sustainable environmental awareness levels. The study was designed according to the survey model, which is one of the descriptive research methods. Sixty-three pre-service science teachers participated from two state universities in the Central Anatolia Region. Data were collected through Sustainable Environmental Awareness Scale and drawings on biodiversity. Sustainable Environmental Awareness Scale consists of 10 items and has a single factor. Biodiversity pictures created based on the drawing technique reflect the images of pre-service teachers. The data were analysed based on descriptive statistical methods. As a result, it was concluded that pre-service science teachers have a high level of sustainable environmental awareness. Biodiversity images of pre-service teachers are correct, but they cannot form a comprehensive image in creating biodiversity components and relationships. According to the results obtained, the fact that pre-service teachers exclude these components in their drawings can be associated not only with their lack of knowledge, but also with their drawing skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]