Motivational Qualities of Hands-on Science Activities for Turkish Preservice Kindergarten Teachers

The purpose of this research, conducted in a science methods course in Turkey, was to explore the qualities of hands-on science activities which might motivate preservice kindergarten teachers to use these activities in their own classrooms. Two similar classes totaling 47 students and taught by the same instructor were used in this study. On surveys filled out at the end of the course, students rated course activities as fun, interesting, and high in learning and identified which activities they were likely to use in their own classrooms. Results indicated that student ratings of activities as fun, interesting, and high in learning were highly correlated and that students rated the activities they expected to use in the classroom significantly higher in fun, interest, and learning than the activities they did not intend to use. Implications for teaching science methods courses are discussed.