Investigation of the preservice science teachers? and preservice classroom teachers? wiews on nature of science

The aim of this study is to determine the wiews of preservice science teachers and preservice classroom teachers about the nature of science, characteristics of scientists, social construction of scientific knowledge and nature of scientific knowledge. Preservice science and classroom teachers? views, from Fırat University, education faculty, has been used in this study (80 preservice science teachers, 61 preservice classroom teachers). This study weas applied in 2008-2009 academic spring term. In order to determine the preservice teachers? wiews about the nature of science ?Views on Science-Technologhy-Society (VOSTS) instrument was used, which was designed by Aikenhead, Fleming and Ryan (1989). Twenty two questions has been selected fort his research and adopted the Tuskish which are about science (one question), the characteristics of scientists (five questions), the social construction of scientific knowledge (five questions), nature of scientific knowledge (eleven questions). 18 interviews has been done, 10 from preservice science teachers and 8 preservice classroom teachers, in order to understand participants? views on nature of science in depthAt the end of the research, it has been reached that preservice teachers have misconceptions about the nature of science. Although the preservice teachers have a traditional approach to the scientific decision, subjectivity of science, nature of scientific models, relationship hypotheses, theories and laws and scientific method, they have contemporary approach to the characterstic of scientists, tentativeness of the scientific knowledge, scientific approach to investigations. When the preservice science teachers compared to preservice classroom teachers, they have more realistic views about the nature of science.When the preservice teachers? answers examined through the chi-square test, preservice science teachers have more realistic views than the preservices classroom teachers in terms of social life of the scientist, gender effect on the process and product of science, nature of classification schemes, hypotheses, theories and laws. According to the preservice teachers?answers, which have been analyzed with chi-square test, there is a significant difference about nature of classification schemes, tentativeness of the scientific knowledge, and logical reasoning in favor of preservice teachers who graduted from science deparment. It has been found out that male preservice classroom teachers have more traditional views about defining science, national influence on scientific knowledge and technique, tentativeness of the scientific knowledge, and scientific approach to investigations than female preservice classroom teachers through chi-square test which has been done in respect of gender. It has not been found out a statistical significant difference among the preservice science teachers according to gender.