DEVELOPING PRE-SERVICE SCIENCE TEACHERS' COGNITIVE STRUCTURES ABOUT TECHNOLOGY: WORD ASSOCIATION TEST (WAT)

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the development of senior pre-service science teachers' cognitive structures about technology. Cognitive structures about technology were investigated by using a Word Association Test (WAT). In order to construct the WAT, eight words were selected. WAT was used as a pre- post test to thirty senior pre-service science teachers. The study constructed in spring semester 2010. Pre-service teachers designed technology supported instruction and presented to their peers who acted as pupils. In the analyze procedure, meaningful responses were accepted and counted for each key word than frequency table was prepared. Concept map was drawn by using the frequency table. To draw concept maps, the cut-off point was determined to be 25-up. Also t-test pair wise comparisons were calculated. When the pre-concept maps were examined, it was found that pre-service science teachers' cognitive structures about technology were generally at the novice level. For example, they associate educational technology with computers. Furthermore, when the post- concept maps were examined pre-service science teachers' responses were improved in general. As a consequence there was increasement in association rate and also the number of associated words