A new approach to the chemistry teacher candidates conceptual change, achievement, attitude and method from the learning model to the teaching model

The purpose of this study was to test the effect of the constructivist method by comparing with the conventional method on achievement, conceptual change, attitude toward science and chemistry and perceptions of science and ways of learning science of chemistry teacher candidates. Another purpose of this study was to test the permanency of the achievement and the concepts of students in experimental group by comparing with the conventional method. The sample of this study consisted of 34 students who entered the Analytical Chemistry-I course in the 1st semester of 2002-2003 at Gazi University Gazi Education Faculty Department of Chemistry Education. In this study, Pre-Test and Post-Test Control Group Design was used. The sample of the study was divided into two groups randomly; each one consisted of 17 students. Control group was taught under the conventional method and experimentalgroup was taught under the constructivist method. The instruction was given to each group about the subjects of electrical conductivity of solutions, chemical equilibrium, precipitation reactions and acids and bases under the topic of aqueous solution chemistry. The data obtained from the study were assessed by using SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) program. ANCOVA, regression, t-test and chi- square analysis were utilized to assess the hypotheses. The hypotheses were tested in the 0,95 confidence interval. The results of analysis indicated that there was no significant difference between the experimental group and the control group, i.e. that the groups were constituted randomly. After the chi-square analysis of the CLES, it was observed that while comparing with the control group the students in the experimental group expressed the events indicated in the items revealed the constructivist view happened more frequently. The results of analysis showed that there was no significant difference between the achievement of the students taught under the constructivist method and the achievement of the students taught under the conventional method; however conceptual change of the students taught under the constructivist method was significantly greater than the conceptual change of the students taught under the conventional group. It was found that there was no significant difference between the students in the experimental group and the students in the control group in terms of the attitude toward science and chemistry and the perception of science and the ways of learning science. Besides it was seen that the students' logical thinking ability had no significant effect on their achievement and conceptual change and that the students' chemistry pre-knowledge had no significant effect on their conceptual change, but had a significant effect on their achievement. Besides students' misconceptions were interpreted according to the interviews. The results of analysis showed that the achievement and the concepts of the experimental group were more permanent than the achievement and the concepts of the control group.