Özet:

This present study purposed to reveal the mental models of science preservice teachers on the reason for the change in day length that is related to many disciplines. The study was conducted with 286 preservice teachers studying (at grades from 1st to 4th) in the department of science teaching of a university located in Black Sea Region in Turkey during 2017-2018 academic year. An open-ended question was asked to the preservice teachers. These answers were evaluated according to the descriptive analysis and were examined in 3 different models. It was also observed that the number of preservice teachers with a primitive model was the highest in the first grade, and that the number of preservice teachers with a synthesis model and a scientific model increased as the grade of education progressed. On the basis of the results of the study, it was recommended that it would be beneficial to create the teaching activities that will enable the preservice teachers to comprehend the shape and movements of the Earth and the events caused by their interaction with the Sun conceptually rather than memorization. 

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