Karadag, Zekeriya; Chova, LG; Martinez, AL; Torres, IC

Pre-service teachers, taking a method course to teach mathematics at elementary classroom, were exposed to explore various activities by using soma cubes. The research explores the participants' evolving ability of spatial visualization, which was very low at the beginning. They were struggling while drawing or constructing even very basic constructions. However, the improvements were accelerated as they integrated technological tools, StarBoard and SketchUp because of the flexibility and usability provided by these tools. The main corpus of data consists of participant own reflections on the pros and cons of integrating technology and how technology affected their visualization and spatial reasoning.

İncele

Karadag, Zekeriya; Chova, LG; Martinez, AL; Torres, IC

Geometry situated artefacts is a great resource to have learners experience geometry. This study explores how pre-service teachers go through this experience and how they benefit by connecting real life geometry to their learning geometry trajectory. Moreover, the study documents how participant pre-service teachers develop understanding of basic transformational geometry. The results suggest that participants may also have learned how to encourage their prospective students.

İncele

Turgut, Umit; Gurbuz, Fatih; Salar, Riza; Chova, LG; Martinez, AL; Torres, IC

The aim of this study is to determine the effects of materials based on the 7E learning model on students' achievement and retention of knowledge at unit of Electricity in Our Life in Science and Technology course on elementary school at 6th grade. This study was carried out with 45 sixth grade students in two classrooms of a public elementary school at the second semester of 2011-2012 academic year. In the study, pretest and posttest control and comparison group quasi-experimental is used. One of the classrooms was selected randomly as the experimental group (n=24) and the another as the control group (n=21). While the students in the experimental group were carried out with materials based on 7E learning model, teaching in control group was carried out according to teaching method and models suggested by course books developed based on Science and Technology teaching program and approved by Ministry of Education. As a tool for collecting data both before and after applications, Electricity in Our Life Test was applied on the students in the both groups. In order to test the hypotheses of the study, for dependent and independent groups t test was used. When it was evaluated the data gained from the pretests, it was observed that the groups had the same knowledge level. As a result of the statistical study, it was found out that materials based on 7E learning model support significantly students' achievement and retention level.

İncele

Turgut, Umit; Salar, Riza; Gurbuz, Fatih; Chova, LG; Martinez, AL; Torres, IC

In this study, the viewpoints of physics teacher candidates at undergraduate level towards the concepts in special theory of relativity and the interpretations they made about these concepts were investigated. The attitudes of the teacher candidates towards the concepts in the subject of special theory of relativity were revealed with six open ended questions prepared by the writers who are physics teachers as well. The research is a qualitative study and the study was conducted with eighteen teacher candidates. In this study, case study, one of the methods of qualitative research, was used. The study group of the research was chosen by convenience sampling. The data collected via open ended questions was analysed by descriptive analysis method. According to the results of the study, it was revealed that most of the students have not been introduced to the special theory of relativity and the concepts related to them. It can be stated that the candidates had difficulty with the relativity of time and its reference frame. Most of the teacher candidates could not make the interpretation that the speed of light was the limit speed and no other object could reach that speed.

İncele