The investigation of science process skills of elementary school teachers in terms of some variables: Perspectives from Turkey

The ability to use science process skills (SPS) for everyday problems is important for individuals living in a rapidly developing society. Individuals with these skills have the ability to make a major contribution to the improvement of society. Most individuals develop these skills through formal education and interaction with their teachers. Therefore, teachers play an important role in the development of SPS. However, before investigating the SPS of students, it is useful to study teachers’ science process skills and the effect of several variables on these skills.

Science Process Skills

Students need well organized knowledge in learning process. In addition, Burke (1996) claims that SPS may help students organize the knowledge while they are learning. In fact we know that SPS is related to scientific research process in a way of searching knowledge. In this reason, students should learn the scientific research process (Gay, Mills & Airasian, 2009). The scientific research process can be taught using SPS (American Association for the Advancement of Science, 1989). The scientific research process can be described as identifying a problem, gathering data, analyzing the data, and interpreting the gathered results (Fraenkel & Wallen, 2006). Therefore, scientific research develops students’ higher level thinking skills, such as asking questions, doing research, solving problems and communicating affectively (Cuevas, Lee, Hart & Deaktor, 2005). SPS are among the most frequently used thinking skills (Aydoğdu, Tatar, Yıldız-Feyzioğlu & Buldur, 2012; Gagne, 1965), and their acquisition is one of the most important aims of science teaching (Bybee & Deboer, 1993). Therefore, everyone should acquire these skills, not only scientists (Huppert, Lomask & Lazarowitz, 2002). Rillero (1998) emphasized that individual who cannot use SPS will have difficulty succeeding in everyday life. Because the development at science process skills enables students to gain the skills necessary to solve everyday problems (Kazeni, 2005). These skills are not only used during education, they are also used in daily life (Rillero, 1998). Acording to Opateye (2012), individuals using the science process skills have a positive attitude towards science. Researches emphasize that science process skills are highly important for science literacy (Espinosa, Monterola, Punzalan, 2013; Harlen, 1999). Scientific literacy is extremely important in terms of sustainability of the modern society (Turiman, Omar, Daud & Osman, 2011). Ewers (2001) reports that if science process skills are not acquired, students may be unable to acquire science literacy since science literacy is not limited to reading and hearing instead it requires efficient use of science process skills. Therefore, these skills affect the personal, social, and global lives of individuals (Aktamış & Ergin, 2008).

SPS are defined as tools that individuals use to acquire information about the world and order this information (Osborne & Freyberg, 1985; Ostlund, 1992). Tobin & Capie (1982) define SPS as identifying a problem, formulating a hypothesis about the problem, making valid predictions, identifying and defining variables, designing an experiment to test the hypotheses, gathering and analyzing data and presenting rational findings that support the data. These skills are handled in the related literature in two categories: basic SPS and integrated SPS (Burns, Okey & Wise, 1985; Carey et al., 1989; Germann, 1994; NRC, 1996; Rubin & Norman, 1992; Saat, 2004; Wellington, 1994; Yeany, Yap, & Padilla, 1984). Basic science process skills form the basis of integrated science process skills (Padilla, 1990; Rambuda & Fraser, 2004, Rubin & Norman, 1992). While basic SPS include skills like observing, classifying, communicating, measuring, using space/ time relationships, using figures, inferring, and predicting; integrated skills include skills such as identifying a problem, identifying and controlling variables, formulating hypotheses, interpreting data, defining operationally, reading and constructing graphs, and experimenting (Chabalengula, Mumba, & Mbewe, 2012; Germann, Aram & Burke, 1996; Padilla, 1990; Turiman et al., 2011; Yeany et al., 1984). Generally, basic science process skills can be acquired from the preschool period onward while integrated skills can begin to be acquired in secondary (5th -8th grades) school (Ergin, Şahin-Pekmez & Öngel-Erdal, 2005; Tobin & Capie, 1982). Students are in the concrete operational stage during preschool + primary school (1st- 4th grades) while the formal operational stage starts in secondary school. A study conducted by Padilla, Okey & Dillashaw (1983) found that there was a positive and high correlation (r=0.73) between students’ integrated SPS and formal operational skills. In this context, when students go to secondary school they are expected to acquire integrated SPS. Acquisition of SPS becomes deeper in higher stages (Çepni & Çil, 2009). However, in order for students to gain these basic and integrated skills at a desired level, the teachers cognitively understand skills (Mutisya et al., 2013).

The Role of Teachers in the Acquisition of Students’ Science Process Skills

Harlen (1999) reports that the acquisition of SPS at desired level is very important for students, as students who are unable to sufficiently acquires these skills cannot comprehend the world and cannot establish necessary connections. For this reason, teachers should develop students’ SPS (Miles, 2010). Having SPS is highly important for the resolution of many problems. For this reason, it can be assumed that SPS and content knowledge complete each other (Rillero, 1998). It is known that teachers should have the required knowledge, understanding and materials to teach SPS (Chabalengula et al., 2012; Miles, 2010). However, some studies found that the SPS of science teachers and elementary school teachers are generally not sufficient (Aydoğdu, 2006; Harty & Enochs, 1985; Karslı, Şahin, & Ayas, 2009; Lotter, Harwood & Bonner, 2007; Pekmez, 2001, Türkmen & Kandemir, 2011) and teachers rarely use these skills in their classrooms (Oloruntegbe & Omoifo, 2000). Lotter et al. (2007) found that teachers did not have sufficient conceptual understanding of SPS. Mutisya et al. (2013) emphasized that the teachers should understand SPS cognitively, in order to get their students gain these skills at a desired level. Studies revealed that teachers having developed SPS teach these skills more actively in their classrooms (Downing & Gifford, 1996) and, thus, develop students’ SPS more effectively (Aydoğdu, 2006). To conclude, it is known that teachers should have sufficient SPS and teach these skills to students efficiently (Harlen, 1999; Miles 2010).

The Purpose and the Significance of the Study

Regarding the results of the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study ([TIMSS], 2011), some Asian countries (Korea, Singapore, Japan, Hong-Kong, China) are successful. As a rapidly developing region, Asia-Pacific countries have similar cultural and societal concepts, traditions, and experiences (Lai, Ye & Chang, 2008). As we know, most of the borders of Turkey are located in Asia. But, Turkey scores low on TIMSS exams. On the TIMSS-1999, Turkey was 33rd among 38 countries in the general ranking, while on the TIMSS-2007 exam, Turkey ranked 31st among 50 countries, and in TIMSS-2011, Turkey ranked 36th among 50 countries for 4th grade students, 21st among 42 countries for 8th grade students. Some questions on this exam were intended to evaluate students’ knowledge about scientific research and the nature of science. Turkey was 33rd in this field. The headings under scientific research and the nature of science are the scientific method (formulating a hypothesis, making an observation, inference, generalization), designing experiments (experimental control, materials and processes), scientific measuring (validity, repetition, experimental mistakes, consistency, scale), using scientific equipment, carrying out routine experimental processes, data collection, organization, representation (units, tables, images and graphics), and describing data and interpretation (Bağcı-Kılıç, 2003). The TIMSS-2007 exam included questions that evaluated reasoning skills, including problem solving, conducting analysis and synthesis, formulating a hypothesis, making predictions, designing experiments, and the planning, deducing and generalizing, and evaluating stages of an experiment (Bayraktar, 2010; National Center for Education Statistics-NCES, 2007; NCES, 2011). The TIMSS-2011 questions’ content was adapted from the content of TIMSS-2007. These results indicate that in Turkey, primary school students’ knowledge of SPS is low (NCES, 1999; 2007; 2011). This was also observed in other studies such as Temiz, 2001; Tan & Temiz, 2003; Aydoğdu, 2006; Çakar, 2008; Hazır & Türkmen, 2008. Studies conducted in Turkey show that students at high schools also had poor SPS (Dönmez & Azizoğlu, 2010; Şen & Nakipoğlu, 2012). The similar situation was also true for the university level (Akar, 2007; Aydoğdu, Yıldız, Akpınar & Ergin, 2007; Aydoğdu, Buldur & Kartal, 2012; Bağcı-Kılıç, Yardımcı & Metin, 2009; Karslı & Ayas, 2010; Özbek, Çelik & Kartal, 2012). Teachers have great responsibilities to develop the SPS of students. To achieve this goal, science process skill levels should be known and effective variables on these levels should be determined. By analyzing studies conducted in Turkey, it can be seen that there are very few studies on science process skill levels of elementary school teachers. Due to this lack of research, this study investigated SPS of elementary school teachers in terms of some variables.

Problem

How do SPS of elementary school teacher differ in terms of some variables?

Sub-problems

1. Are there any significant differences between the basic and integrated skill scores of elementary school teachers?
2. Are there any significant differences between SPS scores of elementary school teachers related to gender?
3. Are there any significant differences between the SPS scores of elementary school teachers regarding their seniority?
4. Are there any significant differences between the SPS scores of elementary school teachers regarding their working place?
5. Are there any significant differences between the SPS scores of elementary school teachers regarding their students’ grades?