THE IMPACT OF AN ASTRONOMY SCIENCE SUMMER CAMP ON THE NATURE OF SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY UNDERSTANDINGS OF ELEMENTARY TEACHERS

This study was conducted for the purpose of examining the nature of scientific inquiry understandings of elementary teachers and investigating the effect of an astronomy science summer camp on their understandings. The data was collected using “Views of Nature of Scientific Inquiry” instrument developed by Schwartz, Lederman and Lederman (2006). The results obtained through the content analysis of the available data indicated that the majority of the participant teachers held a “inadequate” understanding about the nature of scientific inquiry at the beginning of the science summer camp. At the end of the camp program in contrast to the limited number of teachers who developed a “informed” understanding of the nature of scientific inquiry, the number of the teachers whose understandings transitioned from “inadequate” to “acceptable” was noticeably higher. Science summer camps similar to the aforementioned one in this study with a short and intense program have the potential value for assisting teachers in their future professional development and creating higher awareness in certain topics.