Preservice biology teachers’ knowledge and usage level regarding lab equipment and materials

Journal of Education and Learning (EduLearn) Vol. 15, No. 3, August 2021, pp. 397~405 ISSN: 2089-9823 DOI: 10.11591/edulearn.v15i3.20018  397 Preservice biology teachers’ knowledge and usage level regarding lab equipment and materials Ahmet Gökmen, Burak Gürkan, Hikmet Türk Katırcıoğlu Department of Biology Education, Gazi Education Faculty, Gazi University, Turkey Article Info ABSTRACT Article history: Laboratories are an indispensable part of the fundamental sciences. Laboratories are important learning environments that enable students to relate events to daily life as well as being places where theoretical knowledge is implemented. The present study investigated the knowledge and usage level of preservice biology teachers regarding lab equipment and materials. The study utilized a descriptive survey. A total of 61 preservice biology teachers from the Biology Education Department of a public university in Turkey constituted the participants. Lab Equipment and Materials Recognition Form that is developed by the researcher of the present study was used to collect data. In the design of this form, the 9–12 grade biology curriculum was first analyzed, and a list of frequently-used equipment and materials of biology laboratories was created in line with the opinions of field experts. The form included 40 laboratories equipment and materials and questions regarding the recognition of these items, their functions, and their application processes. The preservice teachers’ answers to these questions were graded as: zero points for each incorrect answer, one point for each partially correct answer, and two points for each correct answer. The data obtained were analyzed using cluster analysis, descriptive analysis, one-way analysis of variance, and independent samples T-test in SPSS27 software, and the Polycoric correlation coefficient in Factor Analysis software. The results revealed that the preservice teachers mainly recognize the biology laboratories equipment and materials but generally lack information regarding the application process of laboratories equipment and materials. Received Feb 14, 2021 Revised Jun 12, 2021 Accepted Jun 24, 2021 Keywords: Biology Preservice teachers Equipment and materials Laboratories This is an open access article under the CC BY-SA license. Corresponding Author: Ahmet Gökmen Department of Biology Education Gazi Education Faculty, Gazi University 06500, Teknikokullar/Ankara, Turkey Email: 1. INTRODUCTION The 21st century contemporary educational systems prioritize individuals’ ability to use knowledge learned in solving new problems [1], [2]. To create an appropriate climate in science education, it becomes a necessity to increase the quality of education [3]. There is, therefore, a need for methods and techniques in science education that embody science topics, help to teach them through experiences and realize permanent learning, and provide the active use of all cognitive, affective, and psychomotor skills [4], [5]. Laboratories are the learning environments that enable students to relate events to daily life as well as being places where theoretical knowledge is implemented [6], [7] and therefore considered important and indispensable learning environments of science education [8]-[10]. Journal homepage: http://edulearn.intelektual.org 398  ISSN: 2089-9823 Laboratories play a key role to attain the objectives specified by the curriculum and make the retention of these objectives for learners [11]-[13]. Furthermore, laboratories do not only contribute to students’ knowledge of science but also develop their skills of scientific researching, discussion, and scientific thinking and behavior [14]-[16]. Studies in the related literature reported that lab applications increase the achievement in science education [17]-[21]; positively affected students’ attitudes towards science and science experiments [22]-[25] boosted students’ motivation in science [15], [23], [26]; and provided the retention of knowledge [27]-[29]. To realize the objectives in biology education, laboratories and course materials must be used in an efficient way [30]. However, the efficient way here cannot be achieved only with the physical existence of laboratories. Beyond the access to the laboratories and their physical properties, the use of equipment and devices and the application with those devices supported by the suitable teaching methods with students directly affects the benefits of laboratories. By the nature of the constructivist approach, the more the student is engaged in learning activities, the more efficient and permanent learning will be achieved [31]. An effective lab use needs students being active learners in open-ended experiments. Open-ended experiments in which students reach their results using equipment and materials will produce more successful educational outcomes. Meaningful learning in laboratories will be possible if students are allowed to alter their knowledge. Meaningful learning in laboratories will be possible if students are given the option to change their knowledge by selecting, adding, and removing equipment and materials to build their knowledge of scientific concepts and phenomena [32]-[34]. Therefore, it is of critical importance to be knowledgeable about the equipment and materials used in laboratories and, thus, to use them in line with their functions. Science lessons involve experiences through experiments in order to use equipment and equipment, and the retention of learning is realized with the experiments carried out [35]. Lack of equipment and materials that are necessary for experiments reduces the efficiency of laboratories [36]. It was highlighted centuries ago that certain tools were needed to carry out an experiment. Abu Bakr Razi (854-935), an Iranian alchemist known as Rhazes in medieval Europe, made a list of tools and made suggestions on equipping laboratories [37]. Considering all these, recognizing equipment and materials in laboratories is seen as a prerequisite for reliable experimental outcomes. Certain studies in the related literature reported that laboratories, despite their importance in science education, are not efficiently used due to some limitations, which are mostly time, cost, and curriculumrelated [38]. Besides, some studies put forward that laboratories are not fully used even in cases where laboratories are equipped with necessary materials. Güneş, et al. conducted a study on the use of laboratories in the science and technology course [39]. They found that lab activities or experimental implementations are sufficiently included in the course design even though the participating schools have laboratories and that experiments that can even be performed with daily life equipment were ignored. Bardak and Karamustafaoğlu in their study stated that teachers carried out the experiments as a demonstration due to concerns such as waste of time and failure to provide classroom manag (...truncated)