Pre-Service Science Teachers’ Awareness of Technological Terms

Abstract

Purpose: To accomplish the goals of science education, it is essential that science teachers have technological literacy. Thus, we need to determine the awareness of pre-service science teachers expected to possess a basic working knowledge of technological terms. The aim of this study was to examine the candidates’ awareness level of technological terms and to examine the effect of gender, grade level and family income on this awareness. Research Methods: The sample of the current study comprises 212 students. The collected quantitative data were analyzed by using frequencies, percentages and Chisquare test. In the study, the second part of the Questionnaire of Technological Terms Awareness and Knowledge Level was used to collect data. Findings Results of the study revealed that pre-service science teachers having a medium level awareness of technological terms are generally familiar with popular technological terms. Both gender and grade level were found to have a significant influence on the students’ technological terms awareness. On the other hand, the family income level was found to have no significant effect on the students’ awareness levels of technological terms. Implications for Research and Practice: It was found in this study that the pre-service science teachers’ technological terms awareness level is medium. It can be suggested that more space should be allocated for technology-related concepts, applications and terms in the curriculums of science teacher training programs.