The effects of learning cycle model on preservice biology teachers understanding of diffusion and osmosis concepts, biology teaching self-efficacy beliefs and attitudes towards biology teaching

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of learning cycle instruction on preservice biology teachers? understanding of diffusion and osmosis concepts, biology teaching self-efficacy beliefs and attitudes towards biology teaching. The study was conducted on 33 preservice biology teachers from the Biology Teaching Programme at Gazi University Gazi Faculty of Education in 2005- 2006 academic year. Experimental group (N=15) was instructed with learning cycle instruction, while control group (N=18) received traditionally designed instruction. In this study, the Non-Equivalent Control Group Design as a type of Quasi- Experimental Design was used. Diffusion and Osmosis Diagnostic Test, Science Process Skills Test, Biology Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument and Biology Teaching Attitude Scale were used to collect data. Independent t-test and Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) were used to test the hypotheses. The results of analysis showed that there was significant effect of the treatment which was the learning cycle instruction on the preservice biology teachers? understanding of diffusion and osmosis concepts, while there were no significant effect of the treatment on biology teaching self-efficacy beliefs and attitudes towards biology teaching.