THE EFFECT OF TELESCOPE OBSERVATIONS BASED ON TGA (PREDICT-OBSERVE-EXPLAIN) METHOD ON PRESERVICE SCIENCE TEACHERS UNDERSTANDING OF SOME ASTRONOMY CONCEPTS
This study seeks to detect the change experienced by pre-service science teachers in terms of certain heavenly bodies and astronomical concepts through the use of telescope based on the predict-observe-explain method. This research was designed according to one group pretest-posttest modeling. The data collection tool of the study is “Astronomical Observation Form” prepared by the researchers. The study group consists of 80 teacher candidates who are studying in Science Teacher Education. The data collected via the “Astronomical Observation Form” were analyzed through identification of their states of learning. The results indicated no significant changes in the participants’ visual and theoretical knowledge of the shape and the surface of the Moon. An increase was detected in the correct responses about Jupiter. As to the responses about the location of the planets and stars, the pre-service science teachers’ knowledge was incomplete, though there was an increase in their correct responses. Most of the students gave correct responses about the phase of the star that was under observation. In response to the comparison of the planets and stars in terms of their sizes, most of the students gave correct responses both before and after the observation; yet, there were incomplete and incorrect responses as well. incorrect responses as well. Lack of any change in the responses about the shape and the surface of the Moon may have resulted from the fact that no change occurs in the Moon’s shape and surface when observed with the naked eye or when observed with a telescope, and confusing the concepts of “large” and “small” with “remote” and “close” might have led to the incorrect responses regarding the comparison of the planets and stars in terms of their sizes.

Keywords
Astronomical concepts, predict-observe-explain strategy, science, pre-service science teachers.