What do the prospective science teachers know about human eye?

The sample of this study consists of 34 PSTs who were the 3rd year bachelor students of Primary School Science Education (Giresun University). The PSTs participated to this study voluntarily. The WAT, open ended questions, one two-tiered test question and drawing questions were applied to all of the PSTs. The interview about concepts were applied to 10 PSTs who are selected from the PSTs are having true knowledge, alternative concepts and confusing concept according to their drawings.

In Turkey, Human Eye in the Science Education Programs

The levels of education progressively, the concepts are taught to the students with more and more deepening content and from simple to complex (MNE, 2006a). The subjects of the structure of human eye, vision, human eye defects and its treatment are taught to the students in different levels of education with different contents in view of the quality of education levels in Turkey (MNE, 2006a; MNE, 2011). Teaching activities related to the role of lightning on vision and the effects of wrong lighting on human eye health are presented in the primary school 4th grade science and technology curriculum about human eye in “the light and sound” unit in the subject field of the physical events (MNE, 2006a). In addition, the students learn the structure of human eye, its defects, information related to the treatment of human eye defects, how lenses were used during the treatment of human eye defects, the features of the lenses and refraction by lenses via illustrations in practice in the 7th grade science and technology program (MNE, 2006b). In the 12th grade biology curriculum of the secondary education, a mammalian eye dissection activity (see URL-1, 2013) is suggested within the subject of endocrine and nervous system in parallel with the gain which says “it explains the impulses taken in human sensory organs, transfer of stimulus and their responses on the diagram” (MNE, 2011). The students study the structure of human eye, vision and human eye defects and its treatment within the content of the laboratory applications of the science and technology course in the general biology course at the university level (URL-2, 2013).