Validation of Mentoring for Effective Primary Science Teaching Instrument for a Turkish Sample

Yılmaz Tüzün Ö., Türker N.

The National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST), Maryland, Amerika Birleşik Devletleri, 30 Mart - 02 Nisan 2008, ss.265

  • Yayın Türü: Bildiri / Özet Bildiri
  • Basıldığı Şehir: Maryland
  • Basıldığı Ülke: Amerika Birleşik Devletleri
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.265
  • Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

The purpose of this study was to validate an instrument, Mentoring for Effective Primary Science Teaching (MEPST), for a Turkish sample. Preservice elementary teachers (n=411) participated in the validation of the MEPST from two universities in Turkey. MEPST measures preservice teachers’ perceptions about their mentors based on their mentoring practices. The instrument was developed by considering constructivist theory. MEPST included five dimensions, which are personal attributes, system requirements, pedagogical knowledge, modeling, and feedback. Originally MEPTS included 34 items. In this study, we obtained not good but acceptable model with 25 items. Five factors that describe effective mentoring practices in elementary science and mathematics teaching were supported by confirmatory factor analysis. Cronbach alpha coefficients of internal consistency reliability of each dimension were found as .61 for personal attributes, .77 for system requirements, .93 for pedagogical knowledge, .80 for modeling, and .84 for feedback. Final model fit indexes were found as 2 = 1736.30, df = 265, CMIDF = 6.55, IFI = .86, CFI = .86, RMR = .046, RMSEA = .12. Relationship between preservice elementary teachers’ perceptions of their mentoring practices and self-efficacy beliefs was also investigated.