The relation of pre-service teachers' scientific literacy with various variables: A proposal for a structural equation model

In this study, it is aimed to determine the universal scientific literacy levels of pre-service science teachers (chemistry, physics, biology and science) and to test the relationship between universal scientific literacy and various variables -inquiry skills, perception of science process skills, self-directed learning readiness in laboratory, attitude towards the laboratory and the success average of laboratory course - with the structural equation modeling. Correlational research method was used in the study since the relationships between the variables in question were examined in the structural model created for this purpose. The sample group of the study was selected according to the convenient sampling method, which is one of the non-random sampling methods. In this context, the application was carried out with 294 volunteer pre-service teachers of all grade levels who were taking laboratory courses at the Dokuz Eylul University Faculty of Education in the Buca district of Izmir's science departments. The data of the study were obtained with the universal scientific literacy scale, the inquiry skills scale, scale of the perception for science process skills, the self-directed learning readiness in laboratory, the attitude scale towards the laboratory and the personal information questionnaire. In the analysis of the collected data, the mean, standard deviation, minimum and maximum values of descriptive statistics were used. Causal and relational analyzes were tested within the framework of the structural equation modeling. Data were analyzed using SPSS 22.0 and LISREL 8.51 package programs. Considering the process steps in the research, the assumptions related to the structural equation model were tested, the fit indices of the measurement model with all variables and the structural model were examined, and the mediation relationship was revealed along with the direct and indirect relationships in the structural model. According to the findings obtained from the analyzes, it was determined that the levels of universal scientific literacy, inquiry skills and perception of science process skills of pre-service science teachers were high. As a result of the research, it was found that the variables of self-directed learning readiness in laboratory and success in laboratory courses predicted universal scientific literacy through the perception of science process skills and inquiry skills, and the relationships in the structural model were statistically significant. Furthermore, the model describing the relationship between universal scientific literacy and the variables predicting universal scientific literacy was found to be compatible with the data, and the entire model was validated except for the attitude towards the laboratory, based on the goodness of fit indices. According to these findings, it is believed that in order for pre-service science teachers to achieve scientific literacy, they should have inquiry skills and a perception of science process skills. In addition, pre-service science teachers with high inquiry skills and perception of science process skills are individuals who have a certain level of readiness in the laboratory and are successful in laboratory courses. In this context, it can be claimed that these variables play an essential part in the fact that pre-service teachers are good scientific literates as a result of the relationships validated using the structural model.