EFFECTS OF INSTRUCTION ON PRE-SERVICE MATHEMATICS TEACHERS’ IDEAS ABOUT SOME ASTRONOMY CONCEPTS

The purpose of this study is to reveal the ratio of misconceptions pre-service mathematics teachers have about astronomy before and after instruction and to determine the conceptual change rate. With the increased importance given to astronomy education, the number of studies in this field has increased. In Turkey and abroad, a large number of studies have aimed at revealing the astronomy concepts pre-service teachers have. In this study, a literature-aided multiple-choice test of 31 questions has been developed. After the revision of the survey by 3 physics experts, reliability studies have been done with 55 pre-service science teachers, and α=0.61 has been obtained. This questionnaire was applied to 78 pre-service mathematics teachers before the instruction. After a 10- week instruction, the questionnaire was carried out again with the same subjects. A significant difference has been found between the results of pre and post-tests of four sections and the general questionnaire. It can be said that instruction has lead to a conceptual change.