Investigation of the effects of early childhood teachers'attitudes towards science education on children's science process skills (Sample of Ankara and Malatya cities)

The aim of this research is to investigate the influence of preschool teacher?s attitudes towards science, on children?s scientific process. The sample of the research consists of 144 preschool teachers (of 59 works in Ankara city and of 85 works in Malatya city) and, 1440 children take courses from these teachers. ?Early Childhood Teachers?Attitudes towards Science Scale? which measure preschool teacher?s attitudes towards science and ?Science Process Observation Form? prepared to determine children?s scientific process was filled out by the participants. In order to evaluate data obtained from research One way ANOVA, t test and Multiple Linear Regression was conducted. Following are some of the key results of this study: A significant relationship found between preschool teachers? attitudes towards science and their education levels, service duration, in-service education and, cities they work. And it is found that there is no significant relationship between preschool teachers? attitudes towards science and institution they work. It is found that teachers graduated from master degree and bachelor?s degree, teachers whose service duration is between 1-10 years and teachers who took inservice education has more positive attitudes towards science. It is found that there is a meaningful relationship between preschool teachers? attitudes towards science and children?s usage of scientific processes. It is found that teachers? attitudes related to developmental appropriateness subscale are most effective at children?s observation process. Similarly it is found that teachers? attitudes related to managing hands-on science subscale are most VII effective at children?s communication process, teachers? attitudes related to classroom preparation subscale are most effective at children?s measurement process, and teachers? attitudes related to managing hands-on science subscale are most effective at children?s predicting process. The results of this study indicate those preschool teachers? attitudes towards science effect children?s usage of scientific processes.