Development of conceptual change-based model (material) for teaching mitosis

The purpose of this study is to develop a model (material) for teaching and changing misconceptions of junior prospective science teachers on mitosis. For this purpose, views of three groups of stakeholders; science teachers (n=4), prospective science teachers (n=36) and educations experts (n=5), about model's sufficiency as a teaching material and model's characteristics for providing conceptual change were taken. The study was designed as a holistic case study with one case involving "development of a teaching material (model)" as the case of the study. Before the data collection from the stakeholders, prototype of the model was developed. Then the model prototype was represented to the stakeholders for their evalution of two aspects of the model. In collection of the data, open ended questions focusing on model's sufficiency as a teaching material and model's characteristics for providing conceptual change were utilized. In addition face-to-face interviews with three prospective science teachers were used to increase depth of the data. Moreover self-reflections of the reseacher was also added into the study as a data resource. Data analysis was done by comparing conflicting ideas and using them as a resource for establishment "explanatory suggestions framework" for making the model appropriate for the purpose. The results of the study showed that prospective teachers suggested more on "usability", "alignment with teaching objectives" and "understandability" for increasing quality of the model as a teaching material while they suggested more on "intelligibility", "fruitfulness" and "plausibility" aspects for providing conceptual change. The experts also suggested more on "usability", "alignment with teaching objectives" and "understandability" for increasing quality of the model as a teaching material while they suggested more on "intelligibility" and "fruitfulness" aspects for providing conceptual change. Similarly science teacher suggested more on "usability", "alignment with teaching objectives" and "understandability" for increasing quality of the model as a teaching material while they suggested more on "intelligibility" and "fruitfulness" aspects for providing conceptual change. In general three different data set coming form the stakeholders made similar suggestions to similar characteristics. Hence this situation supports validity of the results in this study.