Evaluation of Critical Thinking Tendencies of Prospective Primary School and Primary Science Teachers

Evaluation of Critical Thinking Tendencies of Prospective Primary School and Primary Science Teachers

GENÇ, Salih Zeki

This research, aims to assess the critical thinking abilities of prospective primary school and primary science teachers, was obtained by using California Critical Thinking Tendency Scale The inventory was applied to 560 randomly selected prospective teachers (ranged from 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th year) in Faculty of Education at Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University in Turkey in 2006 and analysed using SPSS program. The students who answered entry incorrectly excluded from the study. Finally, the answers of 480 teacher candidates were taken into consideration. In the analysis of data t, variance and Tukey’s statistic tests were used. It was found out that the point of views of teacher candidates from both departments about the whole inventory were between 31 and 39 (they’re not sure about critical thinking disposition). On the other hand, a significant difference was not found between the gender, learning methods and critical thinking dispositions of teacher candidates. It was also found out that there is a significant difference between teacher candidates grade levels, their self confidence and their ways of searching for truth. Today’s teacher candidates who will become teachers of tomorrows are expected to improve ‘critical thinking skills’ through education process. Therefore, the teacher candidates should have critical thinking skills in order to contribute the development of their countries.

Conference or Workshop Item
PeerReviewed

2010-06

699