The effects of argumentation based science learning on the pedagogical development of science teacher candidates

The aim of this study is to research the effect of education, in Science Course Laboratory Practices conducted according to Argumentation Based Science Learning, to the pedagogical development and attitude of learners in university. This study was carried out according to analysis of data collected among students' practices who studied "Science Course Laboratory Practices I", a third year course in Ahi Evran University, Faculty of Education, Department of Science Education in the academic year of 2012-2013. For this study, four groups of students (two of them from regularly class, two of them from night class) were selected. Students of control group did experiences in a classical approach and students of experiment group were trained by Argumentation Examination Based Science Learning Five volunteer students from control group and another five volunteer students from experiment group selected, and they were pre-interviewed in the beginning of the term. In practice phase, experiment group students prepared ABSL reports, on the other hand, control group set a experiment report. As data collection tool, ABSL Report developed by Keys et all. (1999) and PCK structured interview form with a ten-question open-ended test developed by researcher were applied. Four sub-compounds, curriculum knowledge, assessment and evaluation, Usage of Teaching Strategies and Knowledge of purpose of Subject Teaching were analyzed at the end of the practices, questions of pre-interview asked again, and it was recorded by a voice record device. These reports were studied and compared using experiment evaluation rubric in order to define level of teacher candidates' research and inquiry skills. Voice records were transcripted with a descriptive analysis, according to the results of analysis, sub-compounds pedagogical content knowledge of experiment group were higher than control groups. Key Words: Argumentation Based Science Learning, Pedagogical Content Knowledge, Science Education.