The relationship between the preschool teachers' science specific pedagogical content knowledge and the children's concepts and skills level: The mediation model study

It is known that the qualified science education offered from pre-school period significantly affects the later educational life of children. Children born with an inner motivation to explore the world they live in, wonder about the living things, sky and natural phenomena around them, examine and ask questions just like a scientist. Science education is a unique area where preschool teachers can support their learning process by encouraging children to explore the world they live in through appropriate pedagogical approaches. The aim of this study is to investigate the mediating role of children's science motivations and teachers 'attitudes, beliefs and competencies towards science in the examination of the direct and indirect effects of preschool teachers' pedagogical content knowledge specific to science education on children's scientific concepts and skills level. The participants of the study consisted of 52 teachers working in the official pre-school education institutions affiliated to the Ministry of National Education in the central districts of Adana province in the 2018-2019 academic year and 281 children of 60-72 months studying in the classes of these teachers. In line with the purpose of the study, a hybrid model was developed for preschool teachers' pedagogical content knowledge specific to science education based on the components that affect science education in order to define the pedagogical content knowledge of preschool teachers. On the basis of this model, data were collected from preschool teachers with the Assessment Tool of Preschool Teachers' Science Specific Pedagogical Content Knowledge developed by the researchers. In addition, The Preschool Teachers 'Competencıes in Science Activities Scale and Preschool Teachers' Attitudes and Beliefs Scale towards Science Teaching were used to collect data from teachers. Science Motivation Scale for Preschool Children and Science Concepts and Scientific Process Skills Scale for Preschool Children were used in the data collected from children. Measuring tools were applied by the researcher through face to face interview. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) analyzes were used to test the models established for determining direct and indirect relationships and examining the mediating role in the study, which was designed with the relational survey model. Within the scope of the analysis, direct and indirect effects of variables on each other are calculated. The models established showed that the science motivation of children had a partial mediating role in the effect of pre-school teachers' science–specific pedagogical content knowledge on children's concepts and skills level. Analyzes have shown that teachers' pedagogical content knowledge has a direct effect on children's concepts and skills level. However, it was determined that teachers 'attitudes and beliefs about science education did not mediate between teachers' pedagogical knowledge and children's concepts and skills level. Finally, it was seen that teachers 'competencies regarding science activities had a partial mediating effect on explaining the effect of teachers' pedagogical content knowledge on children's concepts and skills level, content knowledge and pedagogical knowledge sub-dimensions on children's concepts and skills level. Within the scope of the study, it was concluded that the science-specific pedagogical content knowledge of preschool teachers is important in the development of children's level of concepts and skills.