The purpose of the research is to analyze the effect of STEM applications on mathematics pre-service teachers' mathematical literacy self-efficacy, technological pedagogical knowledge and mathematical thinking skills and their views on STEM education. This research has been carried out by 29 mathematics pre-service teachers who are schoolers at the educational faculties of Mus Alparslan University. The research was completed in 10 weeks (3 hours per week) in spring semester of 2016-2017 academic year. Mixed research approach was used in the study. "Mathematical Literacy Self-Sufficiency Scale", "Mathematical Thinking Scale", "Technological Pedagogical Area Information Scale" and "STEM Interview Form for Mathematics Pre-service Teachers" were used as data collection instruments. The collected data were analyzed, and it was certain that the STEM applications positively affected the pre-service teachers' mathematics literacy self-efficacy and technological pedagogical content knowledge. However, STEM applications were not seemed to have a positive effect on mathematical thinking. Moreover, when the opinions of the pre-service teachers were examined, it was identified that the STEM applications changed positively the opinions of the pre-service teachers about the mathematical literacy, and that they lacked many subjects such as field knowledge and pedagogy knowledge about STEM education. Suggestions were made in the direction of the findings obtained. Key words: science, technology, engineering, mathematics education, mathematics pre-service teacher.

The measurement of teacher self-efficacy has a history of more than 30 years. The purpose of this research is to evaluate the development and validation of a new scale to measure the science teaching self-efficacy of elementary school teachers. Therefore, a scale has been created to measure elementary teachers' science teaching self-efficacy and the evidence for validity of the scale is presented in this study. Data collection for this study occurred during 2014-2015 academic year. Measurement tool applied to 135 science teachers in elementary school. All of these participants completed the Self-Efficacy for Science Teaching Scale (SSTS) in January 2015 and again in June 2015. "The Self-Efficacy for Science Teaching Scale (SSTS)" was developed and has undergone revisions to the original version through processes defined in this study. The SSTS is comprised of three parts: "Science Teaching Self-Efficacy (STSE), Efficacy for Understanding Science Content (EUSC) and Efficacy for Teaching Science Content (ETSC)". Reliability for each part of the SSTS was found to be acceptable for both versions of the scale. Evidence of reliability and validity were collected to determine if the SSTS is an adequate scale to measure science teaching self-efficacy of teachers. Findings indicate that reliability and validity of the scale is adequate. Finally, theoretical implications for elementary school teachers' science teaching self-efficacy are discussed.

This study reported herein aimed to reveal prospective teachers’ misconceptions about classification of plants and the effect of pre-service education program on their correct conceptions of this biological issue. Prospective teachers majoring in Elementary School Classroom Teacher Education constituted the target population of this study during the fall semester of the 2012-2013 academic years from Turkey. In order to reveal the difference between the misconceptions of prospective teachers who are at the beginning and at the end of their university education, the research was conducted as a cross-sectional study (78 first and 84 fourth class). The results showed that the prospective teachers in both groups have misconceptions and considerable confusion over the concepts of without-seed plants, seedy plants, vascular plants, non-vascular plants, gymnosperm plants, angiosperm plants, fruit and vegetable. In addition, the pre-service education did not seem to have an important effect on correction of prospective teachers’ misconceptions about classification of plants. In this context, prospective teachers are graduated with misconceptions about classification of plants. Key words: biology, classification of plants, misconceptions, prospective teachers.

ÖZ:Bu çalışmanın amacı öğrenme stillerinin sınıf öğretmeni adaylarının akademik başarılarını yordama gücünü belirlemektir. Çalışmanın evrenini 2014-2015 eğitim öğretim güz yarıyılında Muğla Sıtkı Koçman Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Sınıf Eğitimi Ana Bilim Dalı dördüncü sınıfında öğrenim gören sınıf öğretmeni adayları oluşturmaktadır. Örneklem belirlenirken tüm bireylerin eşit seçilme olasılığının aynı olduğu basit seçkisiz örnekleme yöntemi kullanılmıştır. Araştırmanın verileri "Grasha-Reichman Öğrenme Stili Ölçeği" kullanılarak elde edilmiştir. Ayrıca sınıf öğretmeni adaylarının derslerinden aldıkları harf notları kullanılmıştır. Araştırmadan elde edilen bulgular ile araştırma sorularına cevap aranmıştır. Araştırma sonucunda sınıf öğretmeni adaylarının baskın öğrenme stillerinin katılımcı, bağımlı ve bağımsız öğrenme stilleri olduğunu tespit edilmiştir. Ayrıca sınıf öğretmeni adaylarının çekingen, katılımcı ve bağımlı öğrenme stiline yönelik ortalamaları arasında cinsiyete göre anlamlı farklılıklar olduğu belirlenmiştir. Kadın öğretmen adaylarında bağımlı ve katılımcı, erkek öğretmen adaylarında çekingen öğrenme stillerinin baskın olduğu görülmüştür. Öğrenme stillerinin akademik başarıyı yordama gücünü belirlemek için yapılan regresyon analizi sonucunda ise altı öğrenme stili ile sınıf öğretmeni adaylarının akademik başarıları arasında anlamlı ve orta düzeyde bir çoklu ilişkili olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Bunun yanında öğrenme stilleri birlikte, akademik başarıdaki değişimin %36'sını açıklamaktadır. Sonuç olarak öğrenme stilleri akademik başarı üzerinde önemli bir yordayıcıdır. Anahtar sözcükler: Öğrenme stilleri, akademik başarı, sınıf öğretmeni adayları ABSTRACT: The purpose of this study is to determine the predictive power of learning styles on primary school pre-service teachers' academic achievement. Correlational research design has been used in accordance with the aim of the study. Study sample includes senior fourth-year pre-service teachers who study at Department of Primary School Teaching in Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University in 2014-2015 Fall Semester. Simple random sampling method has been preferred for sampling which allows all individuals the equal possibility of participation. The data of the study were obtained using the "Grasha-Reichman Learning Style Scale". In addition, letter grades used by primary school pre-service teachers are used. The research questions were answered with findings obtained from the research. As a result of the research, it was determined that dominant learning styles of primary school pre-service teachers are participant, dependent and independent learning styles. Furthermore, it was determined that there is a significant difference between the average of primary school pre-service teachers for avoidant, participant and dependent learning style according to gender. It was observed that dominant learning styles of female pre-service teachers are dependent and participant while dominant learning style of male pre-service teachers is avoidant learning style. As a result of the...

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