Pınar, Mehmet Ali; Dönel Akgül Dönel Akgül, Güldem; Geçikli, Esra

This research aims to evaluate students’ perceptions of in-class activities through the implementation of digital REACT applications in the 7th-grade Life Sciences course, specifically focusing on the unit “Reproduction, growth, and development in living beings”. Conducted using a qualitative descriptive design, the study took place during the 2022–2023 academic year at a village middle school in the Akdeniz district of Mersin, Turkey, involving 44 7th-grade students. Two experimental groups were formed: the first group was exposed to digital REACT activities, while the second group experienced only the REACT strategy. Data collection tools included semi-structured interview forms, student diaries, and researcher journals. The findings indicate that both groups of students emphasised the importance of active participation, in-class interaction, and collaboration, showing similar trends. Students reported positive emotions—particularly happiness, enjoyment, increased self-confidence, and a sense of achievement—associated with the implementation of the digital REACT and REACT strategies. The continuous integration of these strategies into Science courses enhanced student satisfaction. Additionally, assessments of how students could apply their knowledge of “Reproduction, Growth, and Development in Living Beings” in daily life highlighted the significance of practical experiences and the applicability of this information in everyday contexts. However, some students expressed dissatisfaction with video activities and reported difficulties in topics such as plant inoculation and memorising Latin terms. The results indicate that students perceive the knowledge they acquired as valuable in daily life, recognising its applicability in areas such as health, career choices, practical use, and overall convenience.

Ucar, Sedat; Sanalan, Vehbi Aytekin

Reforms are typically criticized for failing to bridge the gap between practitioners and researchers and for the lack of research support provided prior to implementation. Research has indicated that preservice teachers' understandings of high-quality science teaching are formed by teacher training programs. The purposes of this study are to investigate views about science in preservice teachers in old and new teacher training programs and to determine whether and how these two programs shape teacher trainees' views of science. A total of 459 students from a 4-year elementary science teacher training program participated in the study. A 41-item instrument was used to collect data. Four factors were extracted from the data, explaining 41.58% of the variance, and the reliability was found to be .86. There were significant differences for both males and females between the old and new programs. However, no difference was found between males' and females' total scores. In addition, students from the two programs had significantly different scores on the sub-scales of "Anxiety" and "Uncertainty". For example, males in the new program had significantly higher scores on the "Anxiety" and "Uncertainty" sub-scales. The overall increase in science course hours and decrease in science method course hours in the new program may account for these findings.