Development of scientific inquiry-based laboratory activities for prospective teachers

The purpose of this research is to determine the effect of inquiry-based laboratory activities, which have been developed for prospective elementary teachers in the Science and Technology Laboratory Application I and II courses, on prospective teachers? scientific process skills, self-efficacy in science teaching, attitudes towards science teaching, attitudes towards laboratory, ability to develop inquiry-based laboratory activities, and attitudes towards scientific inquiry approach and inquiry-based laboratory activities.The sample of the study consists of 35 prospective teachers who enrolled in the Science and Technology Laboratory Application I and II courses at Ankara University Faculty of Educational Sciences Department of Elementary Education within the academic year 2009-2010.In this study, the mixed methodology that includes both quantitative and qualitative research techniques was employed. In the quantitative part of the research, the one group pretest-posttest experimental group design was used and the Scientific Process Skills Test, the Self-Efficacy Scale for Science Teaching, the Science Teaching Attitude Scale, and the Laboratory Attitude Scale were administered. Besides, an activity evaluation form was employed which was designed by the researcher so as to evaluate the activities developed and implemented by the prospective teachers. The qualitative data were collected by analyzing the written documents and interview records obtained from the prospective teachers.The scientific inquiry-based laboratory activities that have been developed for prospective teachers consisted of three stages. These were:-Theoretical foundations of scientific inquiry approach;-Teaching of scientific inquiry approach and laboratory activities through scientific inquiry-based laboratory activities; and-Application of the scientific inquiry-based laboratory activities which were developed by the prospective teachers.This study was completed within 23 weeks with two-hour sessions per week.At the end of the research, findings suggest that prospective teachers have improved their scientific process skills, self-efficacy in science teaching, attitudes towards science teaching, and attitudes towards laboratory. In addition, prospective teachers have successfully developed their scientific inquiry-based laboratory activities.