EXAMINING SCIENCE TEACHERS’ DESIGNING EXPERIMENT PERFORMANCES: AN EXAMPLE OF “CHANGING” VARIABLE

Abstract

This study was aimed to determine science teachers’ status about designing experiments which is one of the main components of inquiry-based learning and how given variable type affects this performance. Participants of the study, which was conducted in cross-sectional survey design, were 72 science teachers who were determined through convenience sampling. “Designing Experiments Performance Assessment Form (DEPAF)” developed by the researchers was used as data collection tool and obtained data were analyzed through “Designing Experiments Performance Assessment Rubric (DEPAR)” that were also developed by the researchers. Results indicated that science teachers were good at determining the purpose of the experiment, planning, collecting and interpreting data although they had problems in identifying variables and determining the validity and reliability of experimental data. Furthermore, it was found that science teachers who designed experiments with problems consisting of only independent variable had significantly higher scores in both total score of designing experiment performance and especially scores in planning, collecting and interpreting data than other teachers who designed experiments with problems having only dependent variable. It is hoped that obtained results, which can be thought as preliminary study to eliminate teachers’ problems about experimentation, will contribute to literature.