A FOUR-TIER DIAGNOSTIC TEST TO DETERMINE PRE-SERVICE SCIENCE TEACHERS’ MISCONCEPTION ABOUT GLOBAL WARMING

Abstract

Global warming is the most serious problem of our age. The most permanent measure to be taken against this problem is to ensure that individuals receive an effective and well-equipped education, free from misconceptions, which are obstacles to the efficiency of education. In this study, it is aimed to develop a four-stage diagnostic test that can reveal the misconceptions of pre-service science teachers about global warming. The sample of the study, in which the survey approach was used, consists of 401 pre-service teachers studying in the science teaching department at different universities in Turkey. The results show that the test is a valid and reliable measurement tool that can be used to determine the misconceptions, scientific knowledge, and lack of knowledge about global warming. In the study, the factor with the highest percentage of pre-service science teachers’ scientific knowledge and misconceptions was the consequences of global warming, while the factor with the highest percentage of lack of knowledge was calculated as the greenhouse effect factor. It is recommended to use the test to determine the current situation regarding the level and areas where the misconceptions of individuals are concentrated to improve the missing or faulty areas in the science curriculum. Keywords: conceptual learning, environmental misconceptions, four-tier diagnostic test, global warming