Skip to main content
Springer Nature Link
Log in

Changes in Attitudes Towards Science–Technology–Society of Pre-service Science Teachers

  • Published:
Research in Science Education Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This research focuses on use of a triadic teaching approach in a science–technology–society (STS) course designed for future science teachers for middle schools in Turkey. Forty-three pre-service science teachers were enrolled in a semester-long course organized around issues students identified and used throughout the semester. The triadic teaching approach includes library-online searches that lead the students to design and conduct investigations, to carrying out mini-scientific symposia, and to preparing and conducting poster presentations open to the entire student body and faculty. The results of a 30-item Likert scale, administered to the students as a pretest and a posttest, indicated that there were significant increases in positive attitudes towards STS issues from the beginning to the end of the study. Individual interviews were also conducted with the students to determine the individual effects of each component of the triadic teaching approach on their attitudes towards STS issues. All aspects of the new approach provided significant contributions to the development of more positive attitudes among the students towards STS via interviews and on all sub-scales of a survey administered that include: (1) pupil interest in STS issues; (2) teacher interest in STS issues; (3) general perceptions regarding importance of STS issues.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
€32.70 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price includes VAT (Finland)

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. Trona is a naturally occurring mineral that is chemically known as sodium sesquircarbonate, the raw material for soda ash. Trona and its associated products cause many environmental problems, such as acid rain, which can be controlled through modern technology and the use of trona related products.

References

  • Aikenhead, G. S., Fleming, R. W., & Ryan, A. G. (1987). High school graduates’ beliefs about science–technology–society: I. Methods and issues in monitoring students views. Science Education, 71(2), 145–161.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bybee, R. W. (1987). Science education and the science–technology–society (S–T–S) theme. Science Education, 71(5), 667–683.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Campbell, D. T., & Stanley, J. C. (1963). Experimental and quasi-experimental designs for research. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Carlsen, W. S. (1991). Questioning in classrooms: A sociolinguistic perspective. Review of Educational Research, 61(2), 157–178.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cheek, D. W. (2006). Reflections on the success of the STS movement within K-12 education in the United States over the past two decades. Paper presented at the 21st International Association of Science, Technology and Society Conference, Baltimore, MD.

  • Cobb, P., & Yackel, E. (1996). Constructivist, emergent, and sociocultural perspectives in the context of development research. Educational Psychologist, 31(3/4), 175–190.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Coffey, A. J., & Atkinson, P. A. (1996). Making sense of qualitative data complementary research strategies. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Driver, R., Asoko, H., Leach, J., Mortimer, E., & Scott, P. (1994). Constructing scientific knowledge in the classroom. Educational Researcher, 23(7), 5–12.

    Google Scholar 

  • Driver, R., Newton, P., & Osborne, J. (2000). Establishing the norms of argumentation in classrooms. Science Education, 84(3), 287–312.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ebenezer, J. V., & Zoller, U. (1993). The no change in junior secondary students’ attitudes towards science in a period of curriculum change: A probe into the case of British Columbia. School Science and Mathematics, 93(2), 96–102.

    Google Scholar 

  • Enger, S. K. & Yager, R. E., (Eds.) (1998). The Iowa Assessment Handbook. Science, Technology & Society Attitude Scale (adapted from National Assessment of Educational Progress, 1977) (pp. 106–107). (ERIC Reproduction Document Service No. ED 424286).

  • Fleming, R. (1988). Undergraduate science students’ views on the relationship between science, technology and society. International Journal of Science Education, 10(4), 449–463.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Haladyna, T., Olsen, R., & Shaughnessy, J. (1982). Relations of student, teacher, and learning environment variables to attitudes to science. Science Education, 66(5), 671–687.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harms, N. C. (1977). Project Synthesis: An interpretative consolidation of research identifying needs in natural science education. (A proposal prepared for the National Science Foundation.) Boulder: University of Colorado.

  • Hodson, D. (2003). Time for action: Science education for an alternative future. International Journal of Science Education, 25(6), 645–670.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huddle, P. A. (2000). How to present a paper or poster. Journal of Chemical Education, 77(9), 1152.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hunt, A. (1988). SATIS approaches to STS. International Journal of Science Education, 10(4), 409–420.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kumar, D. (1994). STS Implementation: What does it say? Bulletin of Science, Technology and Society, 14(5/6), 284–286.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lave, J., & Wenger, E. (1991). Situated learning: Legitimate peripheral participation. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lemke, J. (1990). Talking science: Language, learning and values. Norwood, NJ: Ablex Publishing Corporation.

    Google Scholar 

  • McComas, W. F. (1996). Ten myths of science: Reexamining what we think about the nature of science. School Science and Mathematics, 96(1), 10–16.

    Google Scholar 

  • McMahon, M. (1997). Social constructivism and the world wide web—A paradigm for learning. Proceedings ASCILITE Conference, Curtin University, Perth. Retrieved December 19, 2005, from http://www.ascilite.org.au/conferences/perth97/papers/Mcmahon/Mcmahon.html

  • Mills, P. A., Sweeney, W. V., DeMeo, S., Marino, R., & Clarkson, S. (2000). Using poster sessions as an alternative to written examination—The poster exam. Journal of Chemical Education, 77(9), 1158–1161.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Myers, R. E., & Fouts, J. T. (1992). A cluster analysis of high school science classroom environments and attitude toward science. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 29(9), 929–937.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • National Research Council (NRC) (1996). National science education standards. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • National Science Teachers Association (1981). What research says to the science teacher, vol. 3. In N. C. Harms, & R. E. Yager (Eds.), Washington, DC.

  • National Science Teachers Association (1993). What research says to the science teacher, vol. 7, The science, technology, society movement. In R. E. Yager (Ed.). NSTA, Arlington, VA.

  • Oppenheim, A. N. (1992). Questionnaire design, interviewing and attitude measurement. London, UK: Pinter Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Osborne, J., Erduran, S., & Simon, S. (2004). Enhancing the quality of argumentation in school science. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 41(10), 994–1020.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Osborne, J., Simon, S., & Collins, S. (2003). Attitudes towards science: A review of the literature and its implications. International Journal of Science Education, 25(9), 1049–1079.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pedretti, E. (1996). Learning about science, technology and society (STS) through an action research project: co-constructing an issues-based model for STS education. School Science and Mathematics, 96(8), 432–440.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pedretti, E. (1999). Decision making and STS education: Exploring scientific knowledge and social responsibility in schools and science centers through an issues-based approach. School Science & Mathematics, 99(4), 174–181.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pedretti, E., Bencze, L., Hewitt, J., Romkey, L., & Jivraj, A. (in press). Promoting issues-based STSE perspectives in science teacher education: Problems of identity and ideology. Science and Education.

  • Piburn, M. D., & Baker, D. R. (1993). If I were the teacher…qualitative study of attitude toward science. Science Education, 77(4), 393–406.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ramsden, J. M. (1998). Mission impossible? Can anything be done about attitudes to science. International Journal of Science Education, 20(2), 125–137.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Solomon, J., & Aikenhead, G. S. (Eds.) (1994). STS Education: International perspectives on reform. New York: Teachers College Press.

  • Talton, E. L., & Simpson, R. D. (1987). Relationships of attitude toward classroom environment with attitude toward and achievement in science among tenth grade biology students. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 24(6), 507–525.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Totten, S., & Pedersen, J. E. (in press). Teaching about social issues in the 20th and 21st centuries: Innovative approaches, programs, strategies. Information Age Publishing.

  • Turgut, M. F., Baker, D., Cunningham, R., & Piburn, M. (1997). Elementary Science Teaching and Learning: Preservice Teacher Education. Ankara, Turkey: THEC-World Bank, A National Education Development Project of Turkey.

  • Turkish Ministry of National Education (TMNE) (2005). New curriculum of science and technology education. Retrieved December 24, 2005, from Turkish National Board of Education Web site: http://ttkb.meb.gov.tr/ogretmen/

  • Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind and society: The development of higher mental processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yager, R. E. (Ed.) (1992). Status of STS: Reform efforts around the world (1992 ICASE Yearbook). Knapp Hill, South Harting, Petersfield GU31 5LR, UK: ICASE.

  • Yager, R. E. (1993). Science–technology–society as reform. School Science and Mathematics, 93(3), 145–151.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yager, R. E. (1996). Science/technology/society as reform in science education. Albany: State University of New York Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yager, R. E., & McCormack, A. J. (1989). Assessing teaching/learning successes in multiple domains of science and science education. Science Education, 73(1), 45–58.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zeidler, D. L. (2003). The role of moral reasoning on socioscientific issues and discourse in science education. Series: Science & Technology Education Library, Vol. 19, VII, 311 p.

  • Zeidler, D. L., Sadler, T. D., Simmons, M. L., & Howes, E. V. (2005). Beyond STS: A research-based framework for socioscientific issues education. Science Education, 89(3), 357–377.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Science Education, Faculty of Education, Firat University, Elazig, 23119, Turkey

    Osman Nafiz Kaya

  2. Department of Science Education, College of Education, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, USA

    Robert Yager

  3. Department of Science Education, Gazi Faculty of Education, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey

    Alev Dogan

Authors
  1. Osman Nafiz Kaya
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Robert Yager
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Alev Dogan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Osman Nafiz Kaya.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Kaya, O.N., Yager, R. & Dogan, A. Changes in Attitudes Towards Science–Technology–Society of Pre-service Science Teachers. Res Sci Educ 39, 257–279 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11165-008-9084-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11165-008-9084-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation