Abstract:

In this study, it was aimed to examine secondary school students' cognitive structure regarding Socio-scientific Issues. The study was conducted with eighth grade students studying in eight public secondary schools in a province located in the Central Anatolia region in Turkey in the 2018-2019 academic year. Qualitative data collection and analysis methods were used in the study. The "word association test" (WAT), which is prepared for socio-scientific issues developed by the researchers, was used as the data collection tool in the study. The word association test includes the concepts such as stem cell, cloning, genetically modified organism, nuclear power plants, biotechnology and genetic engineering, global warming, hydroelectric power plants and organ transplantation. The frequency table was created using the data obtained from the result of the word association test. Concept networks that reveal students' cognitive structures were drawn according to the frequency table. Data were analyzed and interpreted according to the connections in a concept network. As a result of the study, the students mostly used the concepts of organ transplantation (932) and global warming (848) while at least they associated the concepts of stem cell (555) and cloning (625). With drawn concept networks, the degree to which students associate socio-scientific issues with each other has been analyzed. Based on the findings, the importance of socio-scientific issues was pointed out and suggestions have been made to program makers, researchers and practitioners about teaching.