Volume : 4, Issue : 3, March - 2015

Prospective Science Teachers' Declarative Knowledge about Newton's Laws of Motion

Ismail Yilmaz

Abstract :

<p>&lt;p&gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;nbsp;This study identified prospective science teachers&amp;amp;amp;rsquo; declarative knowledge about Newton&amp;amp;amp;rsquo;s laws of motion through&amp;amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;gt; &amp;amp;lt;div&amp;amp;gt;quantitative and qualitative assessments. Their declarative knowledge was regarded as a contributor that might have&amp;amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;lt;/div&amp;amp;gt; &amp;amp;lt;div&amp;amp;gt;an effect on their knowledge levels, achievement levels, and achievement scores. The contributors that might have an&amp;amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;lt;/div&amp;amp;gt; &amp;amp;lt;div&amp;amp;gt;effect on their achievement scores were divided into two categories, namely, variables and factors. Their achievement level measured by their&amp;amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;lt;/div&amp;amp;gt; &amp;amp;lt;div&amp;amp;gt;responses to the questions about their declarative knowledge varied between 43% and 45%, whereas their knowledge level varied from 12% and&amp;amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;lt;/div&amp;amp;gt; &amp;amp;lt;div&amp;amp;gt;34%. Thus, their achievement level did not represent their knowledge level. It can be argued that foresight is more influential than variables in&amp;amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;lt;/div&amp;amp;gt; &amp;amp;lt;div&amp;amp;gt;answering questions about one&amp;amp;amp;rsquo;s declarative knowledge.&amp;amp;lt;/div&amp;amp;gt;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;</p>