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The aim of this research is to investigate the development of preschool education pre-service teachers' (PST) understanding and evaluation of a socio-scientific topic, namely food additives by using debate as a teaching technique. Qualitative research was designed in a case study model with purposeful sampling in which sixty PST attended Mother and Child Nutrition course. We used qualitative data instruments including pre- and post-reflective forms (RF), assignment papers and video recordings. Data were analyzed using open coding and cross coding. The results indicated that PST's opinions about food additives may change with the use of debate and scientific articles. The findings also showed that it can be possible to improve their understanding of scientific knowledge about food additives, sources of information, evaluation of sources of information with the help of well-designed debate applications. The evaluation of the components of evidence, sources of evidence, arguments, and expert judgment as well as inclusion of these components in teacher education programs are recommended for further research.

Purpose: Implementing STEM education in the early grades is a more effective way to encourage creativity, problem-solving, and innovation. There is a need for elementary teachers to implement STEM education to integrate and contextualize science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in their teaching. This research aims to examine the prerequisites for elementary teachers before practicing STEM education with students. Research Method: This study is a case study and implementations were undertaken with six teachers over 13 weeks and were delivered in theoretical and practical ways. Open-ended pre-test and post-test, interviews, diaries of both researcher and participants, worksheets, lesson plans, assessment tools and engineering design process (EDP) reports were used as multiple data sources to triangulate findings. Thematic analysis was utilized using open coding and cross coding of data. Results: Several codes emerged from the analysis that were grouped under five salient themes as follows: understanding STEM, instructional gains of STEM education for teachers and benefits of STEM education for students, instructional prerequisites for teachers and conditions of schools to perform effective STEM education. Implications for Research and Practice: Theoretical and practical integrated STEM education can be planned in a long-term manner for the education program of elementary school teachers consisting of problem-based, inquiry-based and project-based learning enriched with content knowledge integrated STEM practices.

Problem Statement: As a result of wars, starvation, traffic accidents, homicide, infectious diseases, insufficient adult protection, migration, and inadequate legal reforms the mortality rate of children has become a serious problem in the world. Protective health education contributes to a child's physical and social health. In this case, the main problem of research is "How does the production and applications of educational materials affect the protective health knowledge level of prospective preschool teachers?". Purpose of the Study: The aims of this study are, to increase the health knowledge level of prospective teachers, to produce protective health education materials for children and to experience the applications of produced materials with these children. Method: The present study was used partially mixed sequential equal status design model. The quantitative data from the protective health knowledge level test including 20 open-ended questions were combined with qualitative data from interviews who (n = 131) were the pre-school prospective teachers. The qualitative data that were gathered from face to face interviews with 22 of the sample group. The interventions of research including theoretical and production of protective health education tools took place 12 weeks then prospective teachers applied tools on children. Ttest and content analysis techniques were used to analyze the data. Findings: There was a significant difference in the protective health knowledge level test scores of participants (t (131) = 10.53, p<0.00) before and after the research. There was a significant difference between the mean values of pre-test and post-test results on the immunity (t (131) = 5.51, p<0.00), traffic (t (131) = 1.53, p<0.00), nutrition (t (131) = 6.38, p<0.00), hygiene (t (131) = 5.83, p<0.00), mental health (t(131) = 4.05, p<.00). There was no significant difference between the mean scores of the pre-test and post-test of tooth health (t (131) = 1.53, p>0.00) and physical activities (t (131) = 1.53, p>0.00). The difficulties during the production of materials, the difficulties during the applications with students and the experiences of prospective teachers were obtained as themes from the qualitative data. Conclusion and Recommendations: Protective health education should be given to all prospective teachers in all subjects including practical as well as conceptual knowledge. In the future they can use this knowledge and these practices to decrease the mortality rate of countries as a teacher, as an individual in a society or as a parent.

Copyright of Mersin University Journal of the Faculty of Education / Mersin Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi is the property of Mersin University Faculty of Education and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Necatibey Faculty of Education Electronic Journal of Science & Mathematics Education is the property of Balikesir University, Necatibey Faculty of Education and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Mersin University Journal of the Faculty of Education / Mersin Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi is the property of Mersin University Faculty of Education and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)