In this study, we investigated elementary student teachers' scientific habits of mind for a series of socioscientific issues, and compared their views with respect to academic performance and type of programme. The sample consisted of 1,600 student teachers from science education, mathematics education, primary teacher education and social science education programmes (100 student teachers from each grade) at a Turkish University in the fall semester of the 2010-2011 school year. The data were obtained from the Scientific Habits of Mind Survey consisting of 32 items which had been previously validated, in this setting. The findings suggested that the teacher education programmes need to help student teachers grasp better scientific thinking as measured via scientific habits of mind if they are to engage more effectively in decision-making and discussion of socioscientific issues in their classrooms.
In this study, we investigated elementary student teachers’ scientific habits of mind for a series of socioscientific issues, and compared their views with respect to academic performance and type of programme. The sample consisted of 1,600 student teachers from science education, mathematics education, primary teacher education and social science education programmes (100 student teachers from each grade) at a Turkish University in the fall semester of the 2010–2011 school year. The data were obtained from the Scientific Habits of Mind Survey consisting of 32 items which had been previously validated, in this setting. The findings suggested that the teacher education programmes need to help student teachers grasp better scientific thinking as measured via scientific habits of mind if they are to engage more effectively in decision-making and discussion of socioscientific issues in their classrooms.
