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Developing students' career goals in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is a high priority in Turkey and around the world. Many educational investments are being made in the country, as shown in the development goals. It is important to understand the variables that may be related to these goals to best support students on their career path. We examined the relationships between STEM career aspirations, hopes, and goals in STEM, cultural capital, and perceived parental expectations in a Turkish sample (n = 633). The findings showed positive relationships between STEM cultural capital, perceived parental support, and STEM-related hopes and goals. In addition, parental perception influenced STEM career aspirations both directly and indirectly. In the research model, the greatest effect was between parental support and STEM hopes and goals. These discoveries provide insight for educational policymakers, parents, and teachers who are helping students develop STEM career aspirations.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the change in the levels of self-efficacy for research and anxiety about research among prospective teachers participating in a course on research methodology in education. This study was structured with an exploratory sequential pattern, which is a mixed method. Seventy-four prospective teachers attending a major university in Turkey and taking the course on research methodology in education participated in the study. A single group pre-test/post-test experimental pattern was used in the first phase of the study. The data were analyzed using the two-way ANOVA method. In the second phase of the study, the opinions of 12 prospective teachers were collected using a questionnaire consisting of open-ended questions. The results of the study showed that the 14-week course on research methods in education given to the prospective teachers was effective in increasing their self-efficacy levels for research, but there was no change in research anxiety. The qualitative data showed that different factors were effective on the self-efficacy and anxiety of the prospective teachers. In this context, the effectiveness of the research methodology course given to the prospective teachers was investigated. In light of the results, the importance of academic guidance offered to prospective teachers was noted and a number of recommendations were presented for researchers.

The United Nations' announcements of a rise in the number of refugees have led to questions on how refugees are portrayed in children's picturebooks. Works that introduce children, at a young age, to the concept that there are other societies and cultures besides the one in which they currently reside have the potential to broaden their worldview and provide them with new insights. To further understand this, the current study focused on analyzing picturebooks (n = 15) of children in Turkey, as the country hosts the largest number of refugees in the world The portrayal of refugees, the discourses regarding refugees, and the cycles pointing to refugees are discussed through inductive content analysis. The results showed that refugees were portrayed as victims, homeless and helpless, and as people struggling to survive. The most dominant discourse about refugees is that they are longing for a family. In the refugee cycle in books, the migration itself constitutes the broadest stage. The results are presented for discussion in terms of educational and political implications.

Students enter the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) pipeline in primary school, but leak out of it over time for various reasons. To prevent leaks, it is important to understand the variables that affect attitudes towards STEM learning from an early age. This study sought to examine the predictors of young students' STEM learning attitudes. In the study, 493 primary school students (M[subscript age] = 9.62, SD = 0.72) from a Turkish sample were reached through a survey. We recruited our participants using the convenience sampling technique. Data were collected with the STEM learning attitude scale, the Multidimensional 21st Century Skills Scale, and the Computational Thinking (CT) test. Descriptive and correlational analyses were performed on the data. Then the relationship between variables was tested with a structural equation modeling. The results of the analyses showed that STEM learning attitudes and CT skills of primary school students demonstrated good fit indexes. Also results showed that twenty-first century skills mediated the relationship between STEM learning attitudes and CT skills. The results of the analysis are discussed, and recommendations are presented in terms of strengthening young students' place in the STEM pipeline.

This study examined the effect of play-based practices implemented with a national project on the development of Turkish primary school teachers' perceptions of play. Thirty primary school teachers participated in the study, and the play-based applications lasted six days. Sample play activities were taught to the teachers, and then they were asked to produce their own. The perception of play scale was used to examine the effects of the applications on perceptions of play. In addition, semi-structured interviews were conducted to examine the changes in individuals more clearly. Teachers' perceptions of play were examined in terms of the contributions, tasks, and nature of play activities. Nonparametric tests were used in the analysis of quantitative data, and content analysis was used in the analysis of qualitative data. As a result of this study, positive changes were seen in the teachers' perceptions of play.

In out-of-school-learning (OSL) environments, individuals are exposed to tasks that are not excessively difficult, and as a result, they gain experience rather than knowledge. Through the experiences that will be provided to teacher candidates, this situation can affect their pedagogical beliefs and attitudes toward classroom practices. This study investigated the impact of experiencing learner-centered processes in OSL environments on teacher candidates' pedagogical beliefs and classroom practices attitudes. According to the findings, while teaching in OSL environments led to a change in the pedagogical beliefs of teacher candidates, it did not result in a significant shift in their attitudes toward classroom practices. In the context of research conducted on teacher candidates, it is beneficial to explore the mediating elements that may influence the relation between belief and practice. This approach may contribute to a more thorough understanding of the subject matter.

This study sought to explain the differences in the computational thinking skills of primary school students. The survey model was adopted for the research. In the study, in which 780 primary school students participated, the relationship between computational thinking skills and factors at the student (gender, parent education status, internet access, attitude toward science, attitude toward math) and school level (school status, technology use, classroom size) were analyzed and a prediction model was tested. Personal information forms, computational thinking tests, and attitude scales toward science and math were used in the study. The findings of the study showed that primary school students' computational thinking skills were most closely related to the mother's educational level, attitudes toward math, and use of technology in lessons.

This study used the structural equation model to examine teachers' scientific epistemological beliefs, critical thinking skills, and beliefs about the distinction between science and pseudoscience. The study involved 730 teachers from 26 different subjects in different regions of Türkiye. Descriptive analyses showed a significant relationship between teachers' level of interest in scientific studies and their critical thinking skills. It was also concluded that critical thinking skills were high, but non-traditional understanding beliefs were low. Path analysis results showed that critical thinking skills were negatively related to traditional scientific beliefs. Furthermore, non-traditional understanding beliefs were found to be negatively correlated with pseudoscience beliefs. The results obtained were discussed in the light of the literature and suggestions were made considering the limitations.

Socio-scientific issues (SSI), including dilemmas and problems in scientific and social terms, are directly related to individuals’ daily lives. Individuals’ interests and attitudes towards SSI also affect their perspective on events in their lives. For this reason, as a member of society, it is essential to research variables that are thought to be related to pre-service elementary teachers’ attitudes towards SSI. Based on this point, the relationship between pre-service elementary teachers’ attitudes towards SSI, their scientific habits of mind (SHOMS) for SSI, and their level of scientific literacy are studied and tried to be modeled. One hundred twenty pre-service elementary teachers studying at a university in the south-eastern Anatolia region of Turkey have participated in this study. The correlation research design from descriptive research methods is used in this study. In this context, three data collection tools are used with the personal data form. Research results have been analyzed by using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling. According to the analysis results, it is determined that pre-service elementary teachers’ SHOMS for SSI affect scientific literacy, and attitudes towards SSI affect interest in scientific knowledge and publications.

Studies on science education stress that, in terms of discourse, teachers need to carefully build their understanding of science, language, and authority to better enable students to be successful in their science learning. However, the question of how much attention should be paid to this discourse, particularly for primary and middle-school students, remains controversial. This study examined the discourse of two teachers, who teach science at the primary and middle- school levels in different locations of Turkey, during concept teaching. The teachers’ ideological structures related to social and pedagogical domains were analyzed through critical discourse analysis. The results revealed certain differences between the discourse of the teachers who teach at the primary and middle-school levels. Several factors, such as the patriarchal structure of the society and curriculum, lie at the bottom of these differences.

Ders kitaplarının önemi, gelişen ve değişen teknolojik imkânlarla beraber orantılı olarak artmaktadır. Bilimsellik ve benimsemiş olduğu temel yaklaşımı yansıtması açısından ders kitaplarının incelenmesi bir zorunluluk teşkil etmektedir. Benimsemiş olduğu yaklaşımı yansıtmayan ders kitaplarının yaklaşımın yanlış aktarılmasında etkisi olabilir. Bu çalışmada da ilköğretim düzeyindeki okullarda okutulmakta olan Türkçe ders kitaplarının yapılandırmacı öğrenme anlayışına olan uygunluk düzeyi incelenmeye çalışılmıştır. Üçlü setler halinde dağıtılan Türkçe ders kitabı, çalışma kitabı ve öğretmen kılavuz kitabı araştırma evreninde yer alan yayınevleri arasından random bir şekilde belirlenerek, geliştirilen ölçütler doğrultusunda tarama modeli yoluyla incelenmiştir. Elde edilen bulgular sonucunda set halinde incelenen ders kitaplarında birtakım eksikliklerin olduğu ve yapılandırmacı yaklaşımı tam olarak yansıtmadığı görülmüştür. Buna göre Türkçe ders kitabının metin görsel uyumu açısından yetersiz olduğu, tema içeriklerinin farklı boyutları yansıtmadığı görülmüştür. Öğrenci çalışma kitaplarında görsel okuma ve görsel sunu alanında yetersiz etkinliklerin olduğu, farklı etkinliklere yer verilmediği görülmüştür. Öğretmen kılavuz kitaplarının ise araştırmaya sevk edici nitelikte olmadığı, ölçme değerlendirmede yeterli olmadığı, yönergeler sunmada başarısız olduğu ve yöntem teknikler konusunda hatalarının olduğu sonucuna ulaşılmıştır. Bulgulardan yola çıkılarak temelinde ders kitabı inceleme kriterleri arasında yapılandırmacı “yaklaşıma uygunluk düzeyi” biçiminde madde eklemesi temele alınarak birtakım önerilerde bulunulmuştur.

In this study, the pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) of four experienced primary school teachers was investigated within the “Let’s Solve the Riddle of Our Body Unit”. The PCK investigation adopted a learning approach based on inquiry, content representation and pedagogical and professional-experience repertoires (PaP-eRs), and interview forms were used as data collection tools. During the course of the research, the findings obtained from observations made during a total of 18 course hours formed the basic data source of the study. According to the results of the study, in which descriptive and content analysis were used concurrently, primary school teachers lack subject matter knowledge, do not interrogate the pre-knowledge of students and some misconceptions exist regarding about blood moves and exercise with pulse. Additionally, some deficiencies were detected in the curriculum, i.e., it offers non-inquisitional knowledge. Furthermore, teachers employee assessment methods with traditional teaching methods and techniques. In the context of an inquiry-based learning approach, teachers appeared to believe that classroom activities were adversely affected by the physical conditions (class size, lack of laboratory etc.), students’ cognitive levels and parent profiles. The result of this study revealed that PCK components affect one another. The PCK findings pertaining to primary school teachers as it concerns the unit are briefly discussed and some suggestions about the development of PCK are submitted.