Exploration of Preservice Science Teachers' Nature of Science Understandings

Present study aims to explore Preservice Science Teachers (PST) Nature of Science (NOS) views. Qualitative research methodology guided the present study. The phenomenological approach was used to identify PSTs' NOS understandings. Fifteen (1 male, 14 female) junior students studying in public university participated to the study. The NOS views were tested through the administration of VNOS-B survey developed by Abd-El Khalick et al., (1998). PSTs' views were categorized as naive, transitional, and informed. Results showed that most of the PSTs have informed views for the empirical, subjective, tentative, creative, inferential, and social cultural aspects of NOS. There was one exception: for the theory-laden aspects, most of the PSTs hold naive views. It can be concluded that the majority of the PSTs who participated in this study hold informed views about NOS.