Prospective chemists' and pre-service chemistry teachers' views about science-technology-society (STS) issues

Abstract

The present study aims to investigate the views of prospective chemists and preservice chemistry teachers about science-technology-society (STS) issues, attempting to examine the differences between these views. A questionnaire that included 4 open-ended questions was distributed to 67 senior university students to determine what their views were on STS issues. The data was collected from the students' written responses to the open-ended questions. The data gathered from the two groups of students was analyzed qualitatively from the perspective of responding to the research questions. It was observed that while prospective chemists mostly defined science from epistemological and philosophical perspectives, pre-service chemistry teachers frequently explained science from epistemological and pedagogical perspectives. The results revealed that the meanings of science and technology in the minds of the students in both groups showed some important differences in this sample. Additionally, students in both groups stated that science and technology affected society both negatively and positively.