THE ATTITUDES OF PHYSICS TEACHER CANDIDATES TOWARDS THE CONCEPTS IN SPECIAL THEORY OF RELATIVITY AND THEIR EVALUATION DESIGNS

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.