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Deep into the affinity spaces and authentic activities of astronomy camps: science teachers' interests, perceptions, and experiences

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Abstract

Camps are among the activities that teachers join in by taking full responsibility for their own ongoing development and eagerly following in accordance with their needs. This paper aims to demonstrate that the affinity space and authentic nature of astronomy camp activities provide teachers much more than expected. Therefore, the study will provide supporting evidence for developing a better understanding of the extent to which science teachers have an interest in astronomy, their perceptions about camp environments, and their learning experiences in such an atmosphere. The study employs both qualitative and quantitative methodologies. The design of the study presents a statistical analysis of teachers' interest in astronomy using a validated scale and their perceptions using a semantic differentiation form, as well as interprets their experiences that stimulate this interest in astronomy and perception about camp environments through a qualitative analysis of teacher reflections and views on activities. Findings show that the social context of the camp is constructed by a selected group of individuals who have an interest in the camp and attach high-level meanings to it. And their views on activities reveal meaningful experiences that varied depending on the camp's affinity space, as well as authentic activities to support their development. In summary, the current study contributes to the growing body of evidence that affinity spaces and the authentic nature of the outdoor camp activities provide valuable experiences for teacher development.

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Data Availability

Additional data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to express our gratitude to the project trainers (Prof. Dr. Yavuz Unat, Prof. Dr. Faruk Soydugan, Prof. Dr. Zeynep Bozkurt, Prof. Dr. İlknur Güven, Prof. Dr Uygar Kanlı, Doç. Dr. Nesibe Özel, Gürol Keserci, Adnan Akyüz, Sinan Koçak, Hülya Eser Sulu, Mahmut Tekeş, Hilal Koçak) and project staff (Burcu Bilgiç Ucak, Yakup Toprak, Veysi Arcagök, Saffet Bayhan) for their valuable support. We'd like to thank the institutions and organizations (Diyarbakır Provincial Directorate of National Education, Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University Science Education Application and Research Center, Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality, Diyarbakır Archeology Museum, Zerzevan Castle Excavation Directorate) that helped make this initiative.

Funding

This study has been realized within the “World in My Window” project, project number 119B907, supported by The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye, and none of the views, judgments, or perspectives expressed in the publication represent Council's official stance.

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  1. Diyarbakır Provincial Directorate of National Education, Diyarbakır, Türkiye

    Zeynep Bodur

  2. Department of Science Education, Faculty of Education, Trakya University, Edirne, Türkiye

    Sertaç Arabacıoğlu

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  1. Zeynep Bodur
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Correspondence to Sertaç Arabacıoğlu.

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Appendix

Appendix

Table 10 The List and Description of Camp Activities
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Bodur, Z., Arabacıoğlu, S. Deep into the affinity spaces and authentic activities of astronomy camps: science teachers' interests, perceptions, and experiences. Journal of Outdoor and Environmental Education (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42322-024-00164-6

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