Examination of Science Teachers' Opinions on the Use of Virtual Laboratory in Science Course
Abstract
Yaşadığımız çağın gerekliliği olarak öğrenilen bilgilere farklı açılardan bakabilmek, eleştiriye açık olmak, eleştirel düşünebilmek, eski bilgilerle yeni bilgileri ilişkilendirerek bilgiyi yapılandırmak ve kullanabilmek temel beceriler arasındadır. Eğitimdeki vizyon anlayışı bahsedilen bu becerilere sahip yetkin bireyler yetiştirmeyi ve geliştirmeyi hedeflemektedir. Bu hedeflere yönelik öncelikle yapılması gereken, öğretilen becerilerin öğrenci tarafından deneyime ve pratiğe dönüştürülmesidir. Bu nedenle hayatla iç içe olan Fen Bilimleri derslerinde öğrenilen bilgilerin laboratuvar uygulamalarıyla pratiğe aktarılması önemli görülmektedir. Özellikle Covid-19 nedeniyle derslerin uzaktan eğitimle işlenmesi durumunda laboratuvar uygulamalarının yapılamaması Fen Bilimleri gibi uygulama gerektiren alanlar için sorun olmaktadır. Bu sorunun çözümü için uygulama gerektiren derslerde sanal ortamlar, öğrencilere laboratuvar uygulamaları yapma imkânı sunmaktadır. Fakat burada öğretmene yeni sorumluluklar yüklenmektedir. Bu kapsamda yapılan çalışmanın amacı, fen öğretiminde sanal laboratuvar uygulamalarının kullanımına yönelik fen bilgisi öğretmenlerinin fikir ve görüşlerinin araştırılmasıdır. Yapılan çalışmada nitel araştırma desenlerinden fenomonoloji kullanılmıştır. Çalışma grubu, Van İline bağlı olan merkez ilçelerdeki (Tuşba, İpekyolu, Edremit) okullarda görev yapmakta olan 46 Fen Bilimleri öğretmenin gönüllü katılımıyla oluşturulmuştur. Çalışmada elde edilen verileri toplamada açık uçlu anket, yarı yapılandırılmış görüşme ve gözlem tekniği kullanılmıştır. Elde edilen verilerin analizinde ise nitel analiz yöntemlerinden içerik analizi tercih edilmiştir. Çalışma sonucunda elde edilen verilerin analizi sonucunda, her bulgu belirlenen kategoriler altında kodlanarak oluşturulmuştur. Çalışma sonucunda Fen Bilimleri öğretmenlerinin derslerinde sanal laboratuvar uygulamalarını kullanmadıkları, daha önce sanal laboratuvar uygulamalarına yönelik herhangi bir eğitim almadıkları, kendilerinin ve öğrencilerinin eksik veya yetersiz oldukları belirlenmiştir. Ayrıca sanal laboratuvar uygulamalarının, laboratuvar olmayan okullarda, malzeme eksikliği olduğu durumlarda, tehlikeli, zor ve yapılması imkânsız deneylerde, uzaktan eğitim vb. durumlarda önemli olduğu ve avantaj sağladığı sonucuna ulaşılmıştır. Sanal laboratuvar uygulamalarının fen öğretiminde öğrencilere daha güvenli bir laboratuvar ortamı ve anlamlı kalıcı öğrenmeler sağladığı, teorik derslere görsellik katma, birden fazla duyu organına hitap etme gibi noktalarda katkı sağladığı sonucuna ulaşılmaktadır. Öğretmenlerin genel olarak sanal laboratuvar tanımını tam olarak yapamadıkları, bu noktada eksik kaldıkları görülmüştür. Sanal laboratuvar uygulamalarının meydana getirdiği dezavantajları ise öğrenci her ne kadar tekrar yapma imkânı bulsa da çoğunluk olarak gerçek deneyim sağlayamadığı için el becerilerinin gelişmesine fırsat vermemesi olarak belirttikleri sonucuna ulaşılmıştır. Son olarak çalışmayla ilgili öneriler sıralanmıştır.
Being able to look at the information learned from different perspectives, being open to criticism, thinking critically, structuring and using information by associating old information with new information are among the basic skills as a necessity of the age we live in. The vision understanding in education aims to train and develop competent individuals with these skills. The first thing to do for these goals is to transform the taught skills into experience and practice by the student. For this reason, it is considered important to transfer the knowledge learned in Science courses, which are intertwined with life, into practice with laboratory applications. Especially in the case of distance education due to Covid-19, the inability to perform laboratory applications is a problem for fields that require application such as Science. In order to solve this problem, virtual environments offer students the opportunity to make laboratory applications in the courses that require practice. But here new responsibilities are imposed on the teacher. The aim of this study is to investigate the ideas and opinions of science teachers about the use of virtual laboratory applications in science teaching. In the study, phenomenology, one of the qualitative research designs, was used. The study group was formed with the voluntary participation of 46 Science teachers working in schools in the central districts of Van Province (Tuşba, İpekyolu, Edremit). Open-ended questionnaire, semi-structured interview and observation techniques were used to collect the data obtained in the study. In the analysis of the data obtained, content analysis, one of the qualitative analysis methods, was preferred. As a result of the analysis of the data obtained as a result of the study, each finding was coded under the determined categories. As a result of the study, it was determined that science teachers did not use virtual laboratory applications in their classes, they did not receive any training on virtual laboratory applications before, and they and their students were deficient or inadequate. In addition, virtual laboratory applications can be used in non-laboratory schools, in situations where there is a lack of materials, in dangerous, difficult and impossible experiments, distance education, etc. It has been concluded that it is important in situations and provides an advantage. It is concluded that virtual laboratory applications provide a safer laboratory environment and meaningful permanent learning to students in science teaching, contribute to the points such as adding visuality to theoretical lessons and appealing to more than one sensory organ. It has been observed that teachers cannot fully define the virtual laboratory in general, and they are incomplete at this point. It has been concluded that the disadvantages of virtual laboratory applications are that although the student has the opportunity to do it again, they do not give the opportunity to develop their hand skills because they cannot provide real experience in the majority. Finally, recommendations for the study are listed.
Being able to look at the information learned from different perspectives, being open to criticism, thinking critically, structuring and using information by associating old information with new information are among the basic skills as a necessity of the age we live in. The vision understanding in education aims to train and develop competent individuals with these skills. The first thing to do for these goals is to transform the taught skills into experience and practice by the student. For this reason, it is considered important to transfer the knowledge learned in Science courses, which are intertwined with life, into practice with laboratory applications. Especially in the case of distance education due to Covid-19, the inability to perform laboratory applications is a problem for fields that require application such as Science. In order to solve this problem, virtual environments offer students the opportunity to make laboratory applications in the courses that require practice. But here new responsibilities are imposed on the teacher. The aim of this study is to investigate the ideas and opinions of science teachers about the use of virtual laboratory applications in science teaching. In the study, phenomenology, one of the qualitative research designs, was used. The study group was formed with the voluntary participation of 46 Science teachers working in schools in the central districts of Van Province (Tuşba, İpekyolu, Edremit). Open-ended questionnaire, semi-structured interview and observation techniques were used to collect the data obtained in the study. In the analysis of the data obtained, content analysis, one of the qualitative analysis methods, was preferred. As a result of the analysis of the data obtained as a result of the study, each finding was coded under the determined categories. As a result of the study, it was determined that science teachers did not use virtual laboratory applications in their classes, they did not receive any training on virtual laboratory applications before, and they and their students were deficient or inadequate. In addition, virtual laboratory applications can be used in non-laboratory schools, in situations where there is a lack of materials, in dangerous, difficult and impossible experiments, distance education, etc. It has been concluded that it is important in situations and provides an advantage. It is concluded that virtual laboratory applications provide a safer laboratory environment and meaningful permanent learning to students in science teaching, contribute to the points such as adding visuality to theoretical lessons and appealing to more than one sensory organ. It has been observed that teachers cannot fully define the virtual laboratory in general, and they are incomplete at this point. It has been concluded that the disadvantages of virtual laboratory applications are that although the student has the opportunity to do it again, they do not give the opportunity to develop their hand skills because they cannot provide real experience in the majority. Finally, recommendations for the study are listed.
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Keywords
Eğitim ve Öğretim, Education and Training
Turkish CoHE Thesis Center URL
WoS Q
Scopus Q
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Volume
Issue
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156