The effect of enriched laboratory guide materials on improving science process skills and conceptual change of prospective science teachers

The aim of this study is to develop laboratory guided materials offering the opportunity on both improving Science Process Skills (SPS) and conceptual change of prospective science teachers about the concepts of ?Evaporation and Boiling?, ?Acid-Base Neutralization Reactions?, ?Dissolution and Factors Affecting Solubility?, ?Gas Laws?, ?Factors Affecting Reaction Rate? and ?Electrochemical Cells? at the course of laboratory practices in science education and investigate the effectiveness of these materials on them. The sample of the study consisted of 97 third-year students enrolled in four different classes of Department of Science Teaching Programme in Faculty of Education in Giresun University. A quasi-experimental approach with a pre-test?post-test design was used in this study. Experimental groups were coded as D1 and D2, and control groups as K1 and K2. D1 and D2 groups were instructed with enriched laboratory guide materials embedded different teaching methods and techniques such as worksheet, conceptual change text, computer animations, analogy, concept map and experiment within 5E model. K1 and K2 groups were instructed with traditional methods (theoretical knowledge, question-answer, and experiment). The data were gathered by means of Multiple Form of Science Process Skills Test (MSPST), two- tier Chemistry Concept Tests (CCTs), The Science Teaching Attitude Sca1e-II (STAS-II), semi-structured interviews and semi-structured observation form. The statistical analysis of the data obtained from the MSPST, CCT and STAS indicated that there were significant differences in favor of the experimental groups in terms of the prospective science teachers? achievement both their SPS and conceptual change (p< 0.5), on the other hand there was no significant difference in terms of their attitude. The results obtained from quantitative and qualitative data indicated that laboratory guide materials based on the 5E instructional model and enriched with different teaching methods and techniques helped the prospective science teachers both to improve their SPSs and achieve conceptual change together with removing their alternative conceptions.