The effect of science teachers' curriculum beliefs on their teaching practices processes

The aim of this study is to determine the science teachers' curriculum beliefs and examine the reflection of these beliefs on the behaviors of teachers' in their teaching practice. Explanatory mixed method design, which involves quantitative and qualitative research methods, is used in this study. In the qualitative dimension of the study, a descriptive survey model and in the qualitative dimension, case study is used. The quantitative sample of the research consists of 200 science teachers teaching in secondary schools in Antalya city center in 2014-2015 educational year and the qualitative sample of the research consists of 10 volunteer science teachers that have participated quantitative part of the research. Quantitative data of the study is obtained by "Curriculum Orientation Inventory" and analysed via SPSS 17.0 software program for computing frequency, percentage, arithmetic average, standard deviation, independent samples t-test, one-way variation analysis (Anova). Qualitative data of the study is obtained structured observation and semi-structured interwiev forms. Observation data is analysed with descriptive analyse technique and interwiev data is analysed with content analyse technique. As a result of this research, science teachers believe in the highest level that cognitive process and humanistic factors should be found in a curriculum and in the lowest level that social-reconstructionist factor should be found in a curriculum; but teachers do not reject other currıculum beliefs factors. In addition to this, in terms of sex gender and education levels variables, no statistically significant difference between science teachers' curriculum beliefs levels is found; but in terms of professional seniority variable, significant difference between science teachers' beliefs levels of academic and cognitive process factors. Additionally, the results of the research show that, science teachers' curriculum beliefs do not significantly affect their teaching practices due to the some factors originating from teachers themselves, students and environment.