Determination of cognitive structures related to the item concept of science teacher candidates with word association test, drawing - writing technique and concept maps

This study aimed to reveal the cognitive structures of pre-service science teachers on the concept of "matter". The study was carried out with 40 pre-service science teachers receiving education in the first grade of Science Education at Alanya Alaaddin Keykubat University in a 2-week period in the fall semester of the 2021-2022 academic year. In the study, survey method, was used, since the aim was to reveal the cognitive structures of science teacher candidates on the concept of "matter". The "independent word association test", "drawing-writing method", and the "concept map technique" were used to collect data in the study. Descriptive analysis was used for the analysis of the data obtained in the study. As a result of the study, it was seen that the categories obtained from three different measurement tools supported and explained each other. Common and dominant categories such as "common properties of matter", "states of matter", "impure (homogeneous-heterogeneous) substances, "pure substances" and "substance examples" were obtained from all three measurement tools. When the dominant categories were examined according to the levels of drawings, it was seen that the majority of the teacher candidates, approximately 85%, explained the concept of matter by relating to scientific facts. In the study, it can be said that the academic competency of the teacher candidates on the relevant subject is at a good level. Keywords: Cognitive structure, matter, independent word association test, drawing-writing technique, concept map.