Evaluation of the Knowledge and Misconceptions of Science Teacher Candidates in Turkey Regarding the Greenhouse Effect Through the Use of Drawings

Abstract

The aim of this study was to identify, through the use drawings, the knowledge and misconceptions of science teacher candidates regarding the greenhouse effect, and to thereby categorize their level of knowledge on this subject. The study was conducted with a group of 327 science teacher candidates. In this study, science teacher candidates were asked to demonstrate their knowledge of the greenhouse effect by answering questions in writing and through the use of drawings. The answers to the study questions were also evaluated through a descriptive analysis. Based on the study results, it was observed that students erroneously associated the greenhouse effect with the thinning of the ozone layer, with greenhouses used in agriculture, with air pollution, with acid rain, and with global warming.

Keywords: Greenhouse Effect, Misconception, Drawing, Science Teacher Candidates