Pre-service science teachers? knowledges about biotechnology and their bioethic approaches towards biotechnology practices: Attitudes, views and values

The aim of this study is to examine pre-service science teachers knowledge levels about biotechnology and their bioethic approaches towards biotechnology practices in daily life in framework of attitudes, views and values and to determine the factors which affect them.Quantitative and qualitative research methods were used in this research. In quantitative dimension general screening model was used. In qualitative dimension case study model was used and data were obtained through semi-structured interviews.Research was done in two steps as pilot and real scale implementations. Pilot implementation was done with 298 students who enrolled in Science Education Department and the real scale implementation was done with 504 students who enrolled in 2008-2009 academic year.?Biotechnology Knowledge Scale? was used to determine students? knowledge levels about biotechnology and ?Attitude Scale towards Biotechnology Pratices? was used to determine their attitudes towards biotechnology practices. Collected data were analysed by SPSS 11.5 program. Besides, semi-structured interviews were done to determine students? views and values.Findings showed that participants scientific knowledges about biotechnology were middle level and they had difficulty to understand biotechnology accurately and completely. Sheep Dolly was given as an example in the context of biotechnology by all students. 70% of students had negative attitudes towards biotechnology practices and they mentioned risks towards nonethical characteristics of implementations, religious viability of them, pollution of natural order, health and right to live. Majority of students indicated that they found genetic transformations acceptible respectively on microorganisms, plants, animals and at last humans. Besides, meaningful differences were found on students? knowledges about biotechnology and their attitudes towards biotechnology practices in respect to different variables.Key Words: Pre-service science teachers, biotechnology, biotechnology practices, bioethic, bioethic approaches.