Investigation of Laboratory Teaching Strategies in Chemistry Education: Opinions of Pre-service Chemistry Teachers

Abstract

This study aims to determine the opinions of pre-service chemistry teachers on the applicability of laboratory strategies, the purposes of their use, and the factors influencing strategy preference. The research was conducted through a phenomenological design, one of the qualitative research styles. The study includes 20 pre-service chemistry teachers enrolled at a state university in Ankara. A written questionnaire comprising three queries exploring the suitability of laboratory approaches, their objectives, and the determinants influencing the selection of approaches was employed for data collection. The opinions of the pre-service chemistry teachers were collected with the data collection tool 5 times during the implementation. The data was analyzed by content and descriptive analysis of the written responses. According to the research findings, 98.7% of the pre-service teachers believe the strategies are applicable or partially applicable. The lack of materials, crowded classrooms, unsuitable laboratories, and student level, as well as difficulties in classroom management, time limitations, safety issues, problems in achieving learning outcomes, and students' unfamiliarity with laboratory strategies, were cited by pre-service teachers as factors affecting the practical use of laboratories. Additionally, pre-service teachers applied laboratory strategies for learning, learning about science, learning about research, and skill development. Meanwhile, the other result of the study was that the factors for pre-service teachers to prefer laboratory strategies vary according to the acquisition, learning environment, learning outcomes, students, and chemistry topics. The study's findings again highlight the importance of exploring pre-service teachers' opinions about teaching in the laboratory.