Browsing by Author "Kurnaz, Mehmet Altan"
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Item A thematic review of ‘energy’ teaching studies: focuses, needs, methods, general knowledge claims and implications(Energy Education Science and Technology Part B: Social and Educational Studies 2009 Volume (issue) 1(1): 1-26, 2009-01-07) Kurnaz, Mehmet Altan; Çalık, MuammerA review and synthesis of the studies of teaching the ‘energy’ concept are worthy for science education researchers, teachers, curriculum developers, and policy makers. Since teachers may have a busy schedule, they may lack of tracking related studies. Therefore, this thematic review will highlight them on the studies’ perspectives-focuses, needs, methods, general knowledge claims and implications- of ‘energy’ teaching studies. Finally, this paper intends to evaluate the ‘energy’ teaching studies to notice where we are. Using a thematic matrix, each study was described. General trends were also apparent. Further, the similarities and differences were obvious since the unique features of each study were clear. Briefly, an interpretive account of the ‘energy’ teaching studies was followed. In light of the general knowledge claims, it can be deduced that most of the studies has pointed out that their used alternative approaches are more effective in student’s conceptual learning or made a significant contribution to student’s learning experience/motivation/skills. However, the only two studies also pointed out some disadvantages of their used approaches. Most of the studies under investigation recommended audience to carry out their used alternative approaches in their teaching-learning processes.Item A Thematic Review of Some Studies Investigating Students’ Alternative Conceptions About Energy(Eurasian J. Phys. Chem. Educ. 3(1):51-74, 2011, 2011) Kurnaz, Mehmet Altan; Sağlam-Arslan, AyşegülSince science education researchers, teachers, curriculum developers, and policy makers elsewhere, who have, or plan to use energy concept in their studies may have a busy schedule to track related studies, a review and synthesis of the studies of alternative conceptions of students about the energy concept are valuable for them. Therefore, the present paper presents a detailed thematic review of students’ alternative conception studies about the energy concept to highlight relevant people on the studies’ needs, methods, general knowledge claims and implications. Hereby, we may compile and notice where we are on students’ alternative conceptions related with energy concept. To this end, each study was described by using a thematic matrix. The aim of alternative conception studies about energy concept generally have been to emerge students’ understanding, determine appropriate age to teach energy concept, and compare understanding based on age or culture. While the methods of studies on exploring students’ understanding consist of interviews, paper and pencil surveys, and free writing, their analysis consist of classification, comparison, statistical, description, interpretation and praxeological. In light of the general knowledge claims, it can be deduced that most of the studies has highlighted that students have alternative conceptions about energy concept. The studies under investigation generally recommended taking into account their findings in teaching processes.Item AN ANALYSIS OF TURKISH HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS’ PERFORMANCE ON CONCEPTUAL, ALGORITHMIC AND GRAPHICAL PHYSICS PROBLEMS(Journal of Asian Scientific Research, 2013, 3(7):698-714, 2013) Kurnaz, Mehmet AltanThe aim of this study was to investigate performances of high school students regarding the conceptual, algorithmic and graphical physics questions by comparatively. The study was carried out with participant of 68 students. Data of the study was gathered with 15 open-ended questions. The results of the study showed that students performed better on the algorithmic and conceptual questions than the graphical questions. It was concluded that students’ competence in each question types may be affected from ratio of question types asked in university entrance examinations.Item An Evaluation of Changes to the Turkish High School Physics Curriculum(International Education Studies; Vol. 5, No. 5; 2012, 2012) Kurnaz, Mehmet Altan; Çepni, SalihA New Turkish Physics Curriculum has been constructed between the years 2006-2009. It is to the gaining of new perspectives. The purpose of this paper, therefore, is to reflect on the nature of the New Turkish Physics Curriculum (NTPC). To this end, the authors focus on the five themes of the NTPC using a document analysis method: basic reasons and needs of the NTPC, fundamental approaches of the NTPC, learning areas of the NTPC, characteristics of teaching activities in terms of the NTPC, needs of the NTPC. This paper highlights thus focusses on the fundamentals of the NTPC and considerations of its easy adaptation into practice.Item Ay’ın Evreleri Konusunda Sınıf Öğretmeni Adaylarının Algı Durumları.(11. Ulusal Sınıf Öğretmenliği Eğitimi Sempozyumu, 24-26 Mayıs, Rize., 2012) Oğuz, Sibel; Kurnaz, Mehmet Altan; Karatekin, Kadir; İbret, ÜnalItem Ay’ın Evreleri Konusunda Sınıf Öğretmeni Adaylarının Algı Durumları.(11. Ulusal Sınıf Öğretmenliği Eğitimi Sempozyumu, 24-26 Mayıs, Rize., 2012) Oğuz, Sibel; Kurnaz, Mehmet Altan; Karatekin, KadirItem Elektriklenme, Yıldırım Ve Şimşek İle İlgili Öğrenci Zihinsel Modellerinin İncelenmes(Uşak Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi, 6(4), 33-51., 2013) Kurnaz, Mehmet Altan; Tarakçı, Fatma; Aydın, Abdullah; Pektaş, MuratBu araştırmanın amacı ortaöğretim öğrencilerinin elektriklenme, yıldırım ve şimşek kavramlarıyla ilgili zihinsel modellerini tespit etmektir. Araştırma kapsamında özel durum araştırma yöntemi benimsenmiştir. Araştırma 2012-2013 akademik yılında bir il merkezindeki liselerde öğrenim gören ve amaçlı örnekleme yöntemiyle seçilmiş 110 öğrenci ile yürütülmüştür. Öğrencilerin zihinsel modellerini tespit etmek üzere betimleme ve görsellemeyi gerektiren toplam altı açık uçlu sorudan yararlanılmıştır. Analizler betimleme ve görselleme durumlarının karşılaştırılması ve ilkel, sentez ve bilimsel modeller şeklinde sınıflandırması yoluyla gerçekleştirilmiştir. Analizler sonucunda, öğrenci zihinsel modellerinin dağılımının sentez modellerde çoğunluk gösterdiği tespit edilmiştir.Item Elektriklenme, Yıldırım Ve Şimşek İle İlgili Öğrenci Zihinsel Modellerinin İncelenmesi(Uşak Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi, 6(4), 33-51., 2013) Kurnaz, Mehmet Altan; Tarakçı, Fatma; Aydın, Abdullah; Pektaş, MuratBu araştırmanın amacı ortaöğretim öğrencilerinin elektriklenme, yıldırım ve şimşek kavramlarıyla ilgili zihinsel modellerini tespit etmektir. Araştırma kapsamında özel durum araştırma yöntemi benimsenmiştir. Araştırma 2012-2013 akademik yılında bir il merkezindeki liselerde öğrenim gören ve amaçlı örnekleme yöntemiyle seçilmiş 110 öğrenci ile yürütülmüştür. Öğrencilerin zihinsel modellerini tespit etmek üzere betimleme ve görsellemeyi gerektiren toplam altı açık uçlu sorudan yararlanılmıştır. Analizler betimleme ve görselleme durumlarının karşılaştırılması ve ilkel, sentez ve bilimsel modeller şeklinde sınıflandırması yoluyla gerçekleştirilmiştir. Analizler sonucunda, öğrenci zihinsel modellerinin dağılımının sentez modellerde çoğunluk gösterdiği tespit edilmiştir.Item Mental Models of School for Preschool Children(EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH Vol. 2, No. 2, 97-105, 2013) Kurnaz, Mehmet Altan; Kıldan, A. Oğuzhan; Ahi, BeratThe aim of this study was to determine mental models of 334 pre-school children concerning school. Children in the city center of Kastamonu in the Western Black Sea region of Turkey were included. Content analysis was conducted on pictures drawn by the children, and the models were split into two groups, scientific and nonscientific. The scientific group was split into three types; the nonscientific group, into four. About 40% of the children had a scientificbased school perception, while 60% were nonscientific. No significant difference was found between the mental models of females and males. Few studies have investigated mental models, so this study fills a gap, but further studies would aid the understanding of the relevant pedagogic architecture.Item Motivations and Expectations for Pursuing Graduate Education in Mathematics and Science Education(Anthropologist, 16(3): 701-709 (2013), 2013) Kurnaz, Mehmet Altan; İncikabı, Lütfi; Pektaş, Murat; Özgelen, SinanThe aim of this study was to reveal the reasons behind the decisions of individuals for pursuing graduate education in mathematics and science education. In this paper, candidates were investigated in terms of their explanations for the necessities of graduate education, their motivational factors for pursuing higher education and their expectations from it. Being qualitative in nature this study was a case study and the case being examined was graduate candidates’ motivations for and expectations from graduate education. The sample consisted of 49 graduate candidates (teachers and recent college graduates) applying to a university in Turkey. Among the results of the study were that graduate candidates’ explanations for necessities for graduate education were mainly gathered under themes of academic development, professional development and social development; that the same themes were also found in their expectations from graduate education; that motivations were consisted of internal and external motivation factors; and that motivations generally caused academic expectations, especially ISCSR and PAS.Item On Turkish candidate science teachers' pre-existing ideas about some basic astronomy concepts(Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 93 ( 2013 ) 247 – 251 3rd World Conference on Learning, Teaching and Educational Leadership (WCLTA-2012) - Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 93 ( 2013 ) 247 – 251, 2012) Kurnaz, Mehmet Altan; Gökçen Gültekin, Nezihe; İyibil, Ümmü GülsümDetermining pre-existing ideas is an important strategy to construct learning environment and improve learning. This study is designed to reveal Turkish candidate science teachers’ pre-existing ideas about some basic astronomy concepts. In fact, this study is a continuation of a study carried on pupils from different grades at secondary and high schools. In this regard, the study is remarkable to allow a comparison between perceptions of the candidate teachers and pupils. The participants of the study were 118 candidate science teachers from two universities. A data meaning-analysis table was used as the data collection tool. The gathered data was analyzed through classifying, which was shown in tables. The findings have showed that the candidate teachers did not have adequate knowledge to match the given astronomy concepts with their characteristics. In addition, the findings also indicated that consistency of candidate teachers’ responses to concepts and examples of these concepts were not sufficient. Based on the findings, some suggestions were made to curriculum developers, researchers and teachers.Item Physics Attitude Scale: Development, Validity and Reliability(Karadeniz Technical University, 2010-03-03) Kurnaz, Mehmet Altan; Yiğit, NevzatThe objective of this paper is to develop a “Valid and Reliable Physics Attitude Scale” which can be used to identify the attitudes of high school students to physics, to related subjects and research studies after the renewed physics curriculum. In the development of the draft scale, initial items are prepared in terms of an expert’s opinions after the related physics attitude scales has been reviewed. The scale was administered to 841 high school students at 7 high schools in Trabzon. Factor analysis was conducted in order to determine the construct validity and the Cronbach-Alpha, total internal reliability coefficient, of the scale was calculated as 0.95. Results show that the scale has 3 factors, and its items, in terms of total item correlation, changed between 0.58 and 0.71. It was also determined that the nature of factors of scale was appropriate to the attitudes and values of new physics curriculum. Some suggestions were made in the light of findings.Item Physics, Chemistry and Biology Student Teachers' Understandings of Nanotechnology(Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 191 ( 2015 ) 1767 – 1771, 2012) Kurnaz, Mehmet Altan; Alev, Nedim; Pektaş, Murat; Bayraktar, GüntaçThe aim of this study is to determine student teachers’ understandings of nanotechnology. The study was conducted as a case study method. The participant of the study comprised 85 candidate physics (33), chemistry (16) and biology (36) teachers in the Faculty of Education at a university in Black Sea Region in Turkey. To reach the aim of the study, an achievement test with some open ended questions was formed. The answers from the student teachers were analysed using the content analysis method. The data analysis revealed that majority of the questions were responded as ‘I don’t know’ by the student teachers. It was also determined that the student teachers did not scientifically conceptualize “nanotechnology” as expected, and they did not give scientifically accepted examples of nanotechnology. In the light of the findings, the study was highlighted that the student teachers had non-scientific understandings for the nanotechnology. As a consequence of this study, it is thought that the results of this study will be helpful to curriculum developers, researchers and teachers.Item Primary and Secondary Postgraduate Students’ Ways of Selecting Courses and Encountered Problems(Journal of Turkish Science Education, 6(3), 38-52,, 2009-04-15) Kurnaz, Mehmet Altan; Alev, NedimDuty of preparing scientists which is among basic missions of universities starts with accepting individuals to the post-graduate education after they graduated from an undergraduate programme. In general, basic aims of post-graduate education are to educate qualified human power; such as, scientists and lecturers, to produce works which lead to developments in technical field, and to do research devoted to finding or proposing solutions to basic problems (Sevinç, 2001). Selecting postgraduate students for Doctorate or Master Programmes requires certain criteria. It is accepted that these criteria effect the quality of the process of educating scientists (Çıkrıkçı-Demirtaşlı, 2002). The quality of this process depends on students’ approaches and their academic experiences in each stage of the process as well as their selection. Postgraduate programmes can be considered as a process consisting of three substages: beginning, research and writing (URL-1). Beginning stage, in this classification, can be described as a preparatory phase for students to prepare themselves for the research stage which includes the process of executing the study and drawing conclusions from the study, and writing stage, on the other hand, is the phase of writing the report of the study. These stages should be considered as parallel processes rather than follow-ups. However, it is widely accepted that the beginning stage is the cornerstone of the whole process. One thing for doing this as it deserves is to select and take certain courses that would make contributions to the preparation for research area. However, little has been done to guide young researchers on how they select or would select courses that are more useful for thier future works. Thus, it is believed that this study would make a contribution to the reader, directors of Master and Doctorate programme, post-graduate students and others, to reflect on their acts.Item Prospective physics teachers’ level of understanding energy, power and force concepts(2009-06-18) Kurnaz, Mehmet Altan; Sağlam Arslan, AyşegülThe aim of this study is to determine prospective physics teachers’ level of understanding of the concepts of energy and the related concepts of force and power. The study was carried out with the participation of 56 physics education department students at a university in Karadeniz region. All participants had previously taken an introductory physics course. To reach the aim of the study, an achievement test with 5 questions was formed for each concept and the collected data was analyzed using the description method. The data analysis revealed that majority of the students were not at the intended level in defining and explaining the energy, power and force concepts scientifically, and they could not associate these concepts with their daily life. Backed by the available results, utilizing associations of these concepts and using conceptual change texts were suggested for effective teaching of the concerned concepts.Item Temel Astronomi Kavramlarına İlişkin Sınıf Öğretmen Adaylarının Algılarının Belirlenmesi.(11. Ulusal Sınıf Öğretmenliği Eğitimi Sempozyumu, 24-26 Mayıs, Rize., 2012) Oğuz, Sibel; Kurnaz, Mehmet Altan; Karatekin, Kadir; İbret, ÜnalItem Temel Astronomi Kavramlarına İlişkin Sınıf Öğretmen Adaylarının Algılarının Belirlenmesi.(11. Ulusal Sınıf Öğretmenliği Eğitimi Sempozyumu, 24-26 Mayıs, Rize., 2012) Oğuz, Sibel; Kurnaz, Mehmet Altan; Karatekin, Kadir; İbret, Ünal
