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Asia-Pacific Forum
on Science Learning and Teaching, Volume 13, Issue 2, Article 4 (Dec., 2012) |
As a result of the current study, it was shown that learning style of the pre-service science teachers didn’t vary by their sex, grade and age group. When the percentage and frequency analysis of the data were done, it was found that predominate learning style of the pre-service teachers by their sex was divergent and assimilator learning style. According to grade of the pre-service science teachers, the predominate learning style was divergent learning style at the first grade, assimilator learning style at the second grade, and divergent learning style at the third and fourth grades. Predominate learning style of the pre-service science teachers by their age group was assimilator learning style for the age group of 17-20 years and divergent learning style for the age group of 21-24 years.
It was found that total points for the pre-service teachers’ disposition to think critically didn’t show statistically significant difference by age group, sex and grade. It was also found that the pre-service teachers showed difference by sex only in the sub-scale of open-mindedness and that was this difference was in favor of female students. Based on grade, it was found that the pre-service science teachers showed significant difference only in the sub-scale of being systematical. It was concluded that this difference was between the pre-service science teachers at the first and second grade and in favor of those at grade 1. It was found that the pre-service science teacher showed significant difference by age group only in the sub-scale of open-mindedness.
Another finding from the present study was that there was a low level of positive significant relationship between pre-service science teachers’ learning style and their total points for disposition to think critically. Accordingly, it was found that there was low level of negative significant relationship between learning style and disposition to think critically for the pre-service science teachers’ with divergent learning style and a low level of positive relationship between learning style and disposition to think critically for those with accommodative learning style.
From the findings of the current study, it may be suggested that both learning styles and disposition to think critically are important skills to be acquired by the students in the context of Science and Technology lesson which changed in 2005-2006 educational year in Turkey, and that these skills should be given to the pre-service science teachers being educated in Educational Faculties in the Turkish universities in order to give these skills to the students in primary schools in Turkey. In order for the pre-service teachers to give the students information concerning learning styles and to educate these students as individuals with disposition to think critically, the educational content may be arranged by determining the appropriate topics or lessons. For example, it may be proposed to open lessons titled learning styles and critical thinking and to determine its content. The present study was limited to a certain number of students attending on an educational faculty on western part of Turkey. In order to reveal the current situation in Turkey in general, it may be proposed to conduct similar studies with a wider sampling group and to carry out experimental studies in which learning environments would be created based on learning style and disposition to think critically.
