Academicians' views on constructivist and operational learning in science education

This study aimed at determining the opinions of academics on the importance of balancing the conceptual and operational learning and in accordance with these views establishing the process steps in physics problems. The sample group of the research was composed of eight faculties employed in Science/Physics Education in Ağrı İbrahim Çeçen University and Atatürk University. In this study, 12 interview questions which are prepared with the aim of identifying the descriptions and steps of cognitive and operational learning are grouped based on phenomenographic approach which is an explicative approach. As a result of grouping, four different categories (A, B, C and D) have been formed. It is aimed at; identifying the relations between cognitive knowledge and operational knowledge in category A, identifying the importance of cognitive knowledge and operational knowledge in science education in category B, expressiveness of cognitive and operational learning and examination of the influence on each other in terms of permanence in category C, while in category D, it is aimed at examining the influence of learning mathematics and learning physics on each other. According to the results gained from the interviews, it is stated that cognitive learning and operational learning are of crucial importance in science education, operational knowledge includes cognitive knowledge and vice-versa, having gained the cognitive knowledge (or might have) has influence on gaining operational knowledge, whereas having gained the operational knowledge might not have influence on gaining cognitive knowledge, it is necessary that cognitive learning and operational learning be balanced, in case the balance is ruined/disturbed (in case of unbalance) the students might set up positive relations with their permanent learning, various factors emanating from teacher, student, educational system have influence on difficulties experienced by the students in using mathematics for solving physics problems. At the end of the use of conceptual and operational knowledge in balance leaning will be more healthful, permanent and more meaningful.