An Effective Strategy Based on Constructivist Learning Theory: Prediction-Observation-Explanation (TGA) 'Growth and Development in Plants'

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of activities based on "Prediction-Observation-Explanation" (POE) strategy on pre-service science teachers' conceptual achievements and attitudes toward science teaching. In this study, working group consisted of 74 second class pre-service science teachers' at Pamukkale University, Turkey. The research was conducted in fall semester of 2008-2009 academic year. In the study, control and experimental group design was used. Pre-test and post-test was administered at the beginning and end of the study. Experimental group (N=40) was instructed with POE strategy, while control group (N=34) received traditionally designed instruction. POE strategy based activities were applied on experimental group and traditional teaching was used on control group. Following instruments were used for data collection from the students: conceptual achievement test and attitude towards science teaching test. Quantitative data's were analyzed by using independent t test for testing the hypotheses of study. Results of the analyses showed that the effect of activities based on POE strategy on pre-service science teachers' conceptual achievements and attitudes toward science teaching was not significant. Furthermore, science teacher candidates reported that POE strategy was more effective than previously used methods, student-centered, referred to comment and to think, provided permanent learning, would be useful to practice in science courses and they would like to use this method when they became a science teacher.