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The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of multiple intelligences (MI) teaching approach on 8th Grade students' achievement in and attitudes toward science. This study used a pretest-posttest control group experimental design. While the experimental group (n=30) was taught a unit on acids and bases using MI teaching approach, the control group (n=30) learned the same topic with traditional teaching. The data were collected using a multiple-choice test for students' achievement in science and a Likert scale questionnaire for students' attitudes toward science. The results of statistical analysis (MANCOVA) showed that there were significant differences in favor of the students of the experimental group with respect to both achievement in and attitudes toward science. Empirical evidence indicated that compared to traditional teaching, the MI teaching approach significantly increased 8th Grade students' achievement in and attitudes toward science. (Contains 4 tables.)

In this study, Pre-service Science Teachers' (PSTs) views about the potential benefits and existing barriers of their argumentation on the World Wide Web about what is happening in middle school science classrooms during two semesters of their practicum experiences were investigated. "Special Web Group" called the "Collaborative Action Research in Science Teacher Education" (CARSTE) was constructed together with seven PSTs. PSTs were individually asked to send their observations reflecting whatever happens in the middle school science classes to CARSTE. Also, PSTs met twice each week for a 3-hour group session in order to carry out face to face argumentation in addition to their online argumentation. Simultaneously, PSTs had online and face to face argumentation about important issues of science education, such as traditional teaching, constructivist approach, attitudes toward and perceptions of science, authentic assessment, and nature of science. At the end of this study, CARSTE compiled an archive consisting of 325 individual e-mails. Both a paper-pencil test consisting of open-ended questions and individual interviews were employed to identify PSTs' views about their online argumentation. The results indicated that the important barriers that PSTs encountered when using the CARSTE appear to be the lack of adequate access to a network computer and structuring time to engage on the Internet. The results of open-ended survey showed that PSTs' online argumentation improved their attitudes toward teaching science and self-confidence, teachers' behaviors as a science teacher and their knowledge and perspectives about the important topics of science education. Also, the interpretive analysis of interview data indicated that PSTs described their online argumentation as an interesting way of sharing information, discussing their ideas as well as improving their ability to use computers and Internet. Almost all of the PSTs stated that their argumentative ability during the time of the study. (Contains 3 figures and 1 footnote.)

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of scientific discussions based on student-constructed pre- and post-laboratory concept maps on students' attitudes toward chemistry laboratory in the university general chemistry. As part of instruction, during the first four laboratory sessions, students were taught how to construct and objectively score concept maps using a scoring scheme with a symbol system. Then, students were required personally to construct a map prior (pre) and after (post) each of the five laboratory experiments. Concept mapping was used as a tool to carry out the scientific discussions about chemical concepts involved in general chemistry laboratory experiments between instructors and students, and among students. In the experimental group, students (N=45) performed their general chemistry laboratory experiments using individual, small and large group discussions based on pre- and post-laboratory concept maps, whereas the control group students (N=46) performed their laboratory investigations using traditional approaches. A questionnaire of attitudes toward chemistry laboratory (QATCL) developed by the researchers was administrated to both groups to determine the pre-existing differences between the two groups as a pre-test. At the end of the study, QATCL was re-administered to all of the students in both groups to analyze the effect of the intervention on students' attitudes toward chemistry laboratory. The data were analyzed using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). The statistical results of the QATCL post-test scores showed that there was a significant difference favoring the experimental group. Hence, it is concluded that scientific discussions founded on pre- and post-laboratory concept maps are more effective in improving students' attitudes toward chemistry laboratory than traditional teaching. (Contains 2 figures and 2 tables.)

In this study, prospective science teachers' (PSTs) views about their poster presentations were investigated. These posters were developed through PSTs' online and library research and scientific mini-symposiums in chemistry related topics in the framework of science, technology and society course (STS). During the first four weeks of STS course, PSTs (N=50) were taught about some important issues such as the goals for teaching science through STS, the topics to be taught, how the science and STS content be integrated, how to design STS instruction and how to prepare and present a poster. Fifty PSTs were grouped in small groups of four or five and freely selected their research projects in chemistry topics involving STS content. After their on-line and library research and scientific mini-symposiums, PSTs presented the poster presentations of their studies to all of students and educators in the faculty of education as a group of scientists in a manner of a scientific meeting and responded the questions of the visitors related to their posters toward the end of the STS course. Then, semi-structured interviews developed by the researchers were carried out with PSTs in small groups to identify PSTs' views about their poster presentations. The results of small-group interviews showed that PSTs described their poster presentations as a funny way of learning and they stated that they understood how the scientific developments are achieved by cooperative working which enabled them to feel as scientists. They also stated that this improved their self-confidence. They expressed that their poster presentations made the knowledge they gained in STS course more permanent and increased their curiosity and interest toward STS issues. Appended are: (1) Some photographs of PSTs' posters and poster presentations.

Student-centered approach of scoring the concept maps consisted of three elements namely symbol system, individual portfolio and scoring scheme. We scored student-constructed concept maps based on 5 concept map criteria: validity of concepts, adequacy of propositions, significance of cross-links, relevancy of examples, and interconnectedness. With respect to the concurrent validity of scoring the concept maps in this study, correlation coefficients were computed between total scores of students' concept map and their scores of Prior Knowledge Test (PKT), and Achievement Test (AT) involved in the concepts of science laboratory experiments. The mean scores of students' pre-lab concept maps correlated much better with their scores of PKT (r= 0.615, p less than 0.01), and also mean scores of students' post-lab concept maps correlated with their scores of Achievement Test (r= 0.478, p less than 0.05). In regard to instructional sensitivity, the statistical analysis based on the comparison of both total and interconnectedness scores of pre- and post-lab concept maps indicated that there were significant differences favoring the post-lab concept maps (p less than 0.01). (Contains 3 tables and 4 figures.)

The purpose of this study was to investigate the dimensions of the university students' perceptions of their science classes and whether or not the students' perceptions differ significantly as regards to the gender and grade level in six main categories namely; (1) pedagogical strategies, (2) faculty interest in teaching, (3) students interest and perceived competence in science, (4) passive learning, (5) grades as feedback, and (6) laboratory experiences. There were a total of 507 students from two big universities in Turkey, including pre-service middle school science and chemistry teachers, was randomly selected for the study. The study group consisted of 232 males and 275 female students in age ranging between 18 and 23. Questionnaire of Perceptions of Science Classes (QPSC), consisting of a 55-positive and negative Likert scale items, was administered to all students. The statistical results of the QPSC scores indicated that the undergraduates' perceptions of their science classes were significantly differ favoring female students in the grades of third year, and students' perceptions of their science classes showed a significant positive change from first to third years of the universities. Also, there was a significant difference favoring the female students on the factor of students' interest and perceived competence in science in the grades of second and final year. In the grade of third year, female students were significantly better than male students on the factors of faculty interest in teaching, grades as feedback, and laboratory experiences, while male students were better than female students on only the factor of passive learning in the grade of the first year. Appended are: (1) The Perceptions of Science Class Survey. (Contains 5 tables.)