Determining and comparing of primary preservice teachers? scientific habits of mind via socioscientific issues

The aim of this study is to determine the extent to which primary pre-service teachers use scientific habits of mind in decision-making procedure on socio-scientific issues and to compare their levels with one another in regard to grade and type of programme. The sample consisted of 1600 pre-service teachers from Science, Maths, Elementary and Social Science Teacher Education Programmes (100 pre-service teachers from each grade) at Fatih Faculty of Education, Karadeniz Technical University in the fall semester of 2010-2011 schooling year. Within field survey, the data were obtained from the Scientific Habits of Mind Scale with 32 items whose validity and reliability were confirmed. The responses given the scale items were scored using a four-point likert type scale in according to two types of expected responses, i.e. positive (1-4) and negative (4-1). As a result, it was concluded that university education had some deficiencies getting the pre-service teachers to grasp such intended behaviours as knowing the scientific habits of mind skills and taking them into consideration in decision-making procedure on socio-scientific issues. It is suggested that a study focusing on improving the pre-service teachers? scientific habits of mind will make a significant contribution to the socio-scientific issue literature.