Determining the competence of secondary school science teachers in laboratory management

In this study, it was aimed to determine management competencies of the science teachers at the science laboratory. The research is a descriptive type "general survey" model conducted by quantitative research method. The population of the study is composed of science teachers working in 176 secondary schools in Osmangazi, Nilüfer and Yıldırım districts of Bursa province in 2018-2019 academic year. In the research, stratification sampling method which is one of the probable sample selection methods was used. The sample group of the study was determined as 205 science teachers working in 53 secondary schools. In the research Class Management Proficiency Scale" consisting of 47 items and 5 sub-dimensions developed by Çetin (2009) used as data collection tool but "Class Management" was changed to "Laboratory Management" by the researcher. SPSS 20 statistical package and AMOS 23 statistical package programs were used to analyze the data obtained from the laboratory management competency scale. As a result of the research, it was seen that science teachers' general scores of laboratory management proficiency scale and the average scores of physical order regulation, instructional management, time management, laboratory relations, behavior development and regulation sub-dimensions were high. It was seen that science teachers had the highest average in the laboratory management relations dimension and the lowest average in the physical order sub-dimension. In the research, the results obtained from the analysis showed that there was a significant difference between the sub-dimensions of the scale and the gender variable in terms of laboratory management competence levels of science teachers, but no significant difference in terms of professional seniority and age variables. On the other hand, as a result of the research, it was found that science teachers used the science laboratory in the 5th graders the most and the least in the 8th graders, however it was found that there was no difference between laboratory management competencies according to class levels.