Abstract:

Recently, as technological developments have been increasing, people need to have more knowledge and learn the ways of acquiring knowledge. To follow the technological developments requires being a scientifically literate person (Kortland, 2010). Because of this reason, new reforms are put into practice in all areas as well as in science education. And scientific literacy has become a major goal of science education. Scientific literacy is defined as the ability to use scientific knowledge, to identify questions and to draw evidence-based conclusions in order to understand and help make decisions about the natural world and the changes made to it through human activity. Scientific literacy is a major goal in science education but which approach could be effective in developing scientific literacy? Science educators developed context-based approach to integrate scientific knowledge and real life events, and the designed their After the curriculum changes in many countries, Turkey has also changed the physics curriculum. In schools, physics books which are based on context-based approach are being used as reference books. The reasons of changing teaching curriculums may be 'the failure to make students scientifically literate', 'a weak link between science/physics and daily life', 'a negative image of the subject such as difficulty and requirement of mathematics', and 'a decrease in students' motivation around high content overload'. Context-based approach aims to develop and sustain a sense of wonder and curiosity in young people about the natural world. At the same time, a context can make students connect scientific knowledge to real life (Colburn, 2000; Saka, 2006). The students are required to induce meanings by using contexts, thus justifying a 'need-to-know' approach to content. Thus, students' interest and positive attitudes towards physics have been increased (Campbell vd., 2000; Bennett and Lubben, 2006; Bultev., 2006; Boström, 2008; Demircioğlu vd., 2006, 2009). Unlike the other degrees, the 9th grade physics curriculum is discussed with an understanding of "science-for-all" (MEB, 2007). In the scope of this understanding, all 9th grade students will not have to continue studying science and/or physics education in the future. Thus, they will give their attention to understanding physical events and relationships between physical events and real life. The textbooks are used by teachers and students as a common guidance material. Additionally, the textbooks that are involved in education in the visual tools are all common, and teachers give a great importance to them. Primarily, the textbooks are offered as a source and a guide for teachers. The teachers can follow many educational activities and can control the topic sequences of the curriculum. Also they can find different teaching activities that can be used during course from the text books. Thus, one of the most important elements of a good textbook is that the book should reflect educational program very well. Therefore, it is important that the activities that are related ability and unit objectives in the physics curriculum are mentioned in 9th grade physics textbooks. The main purpose of this study is to determine the teachers' views on the applicability of the technology design objectives in the 9th grade physics curriculum. The study is carried out in the form of a case study. Semi-constructed interviews are used to collect data. The sample group is consisted of ten physics teachers in MNE (Ministry of National Education) who teach in 9th degrees. Four teachers are women, six are men. The teachers have an experience at least 11 years, at most 37 years. And they are between the ages of 34 and 57. Five of these ten teachers work in Anatolian High Schools, two of them work in Industrial Vocational High Schools, and one of them works in General High Schools, one of them works in Anatolian Technique High Schools and one of them works in Religious High Schools. Despite fifty percent of these teachers graduated from integrated BS&MS program in teaching physics or teaching physics department at faculty of education in their universities, the other fifty percent of these teachers graduated from the physics department at the faculty of science and literature in universities. Three of them graduated from Atatürk University, two of them graduated from Gazi University, two of them graduated from Black Sea Technical University, one of them graduated from Anadolu University, one of them graduated from Istanbul University and one of them graduated from Ankara University. At the end of the study, it is found that the teachers are not aware of the ability objectives and activities about technology design in 9th grade. Also, the study reveals that teachers do not prefer to use the technology design activities during the courses. It is suggested that teachers should be informed about the technology design activities and ability objectives. And technology design activities should be integrated in in-service education courses. Also physics courses hours should be increased in high schools. The deficiencies of gaining the ability objectives should be determined in a comprehensive manner with a wide range of samples.

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