The aim of this study was to reveal the effects of Problembased Learning (PBL)

This study aimed at investigating effects of Problem-Based Learning (PBL) on pre-service teachers' performance on conceptual and quantitative problems about concepts of gases. The subjects of this study were 78 second year undergraduates from two different classes enrolled to General Chemistry course in the Department of Primary Mathematics Education a State University in Turkey. Nonequivalent pretest-posttest control group design was used. One of the classes was randomly chosen as experimental group (40), took PBL instruction, and the other was control (38) group, took traditional instruction. Students' achievement of conceptual and quantitative problems in chemistry was measured by Conceptual Problems Gases Test (CPGT) and Quantitative Problems Gases Test (QPGT) as pre and post-tests. The analysis of results showed that students in experimental group had better performance on conceptual problems while there was no difference in students' performances of quantitative problems. The results of the study are discussed in terms of the effects of PBL on students' conceptual learning.

The aim of this study was to compare the achievement of prospective primary science teachers in a problem-based curriculum with those in a conventional primary science teacher preparation program with regard to success in learning about gases and developing positive attitudes towards chemistry. The subjects of the study were 101 first year undergraduate students, who were in two different classes and who were taught by the same lecturer. One of the classes was randomly selected as the intervention group in which problem-based learning (PBL) was used, and the other as the control in which conventional teaching methods were used. The data were obtained through use of the gases diagnostic test (GDT), the chemistry attitude scale (CAS), and scales specific to students' evaluation of PBL such as the peer evaluation scale (PES), self evaluation scale (SES), tutor's performance evaluation scale (TPES) and students' evaluation of PBL scale (SEPBLS). Data were analysed using SPSS 10.0 (Statistical Package for Social Sciences). In order to find out the effect of the intervention (PBL) on students' learning of gases, independent sample t-tests and ANCOVA (analysis of co-variance) were used. The results obtained from the study showed that there was a statistically significant difference between the experimental and control groups in terms of students' GDT total mean scores and, their attitude towards chemistry, as well as PBL has a significant effect on the development of students' skills such as self-directed learning, cooperative learning and critical thinking.

No abstract

There is considerable interest in public understanding of emerging technologies because public understanding can have an important effect on the implementation of these technologies. Although there are many studies that have focused on public understanding of nanotechnology, no studies on this topic have been conducted in the Turkish public. Therefore, this study was conducted to reveal the status of the Turkish public’s perception of nanotechnology. A survey, including several items that assessed Turkish public opinion about nanotechnology and identified participant demographics, was used to collect data. The sample comprised 513 participants. The results of the dataset indicate that the Turkish public is unfamiliar with nanotechnology. In fact, most of the sample had heard little or nothing about nanotechnology. However, the respondents displayed positive emotions toward nanotechnology. The results of this study provide initial insights into the Turkish public’s perception of nanotechnology.