SCIENCE TEACHERS VIEWS ABOUT INFORMAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS: PLANETARIUM

Abstract

The aim of this study is to describe the ideas of the science teachers after visiting planetarium which is one of the learning methods outside school. This study was carried on phenomenology method which is one of the qualitative research methods. The research was applied during the fall term of 2017-2018 academic year. The study is conducted with 25 science teachers (18 females and 8 males) working in a secondary school in Kayseri/Turkey. The data was obtained through semi-structured open ended questions with the teachers. Interview form was formed and was controlled by two science education experts. Data analysis was conducted through content analysis. Content analysis was performed by creating codes, categories and themes. After visiting the planetarium, the teachers expressed that the visit was effective for them to make their students learning meaningful. All teachers expressed that planetariums are quite intriguing for the first-time visitors. On the other hand teachers believe that planetariums are effective in teaching astronomy subjects as a concretely. Based on the results of the research, recommendations were offered to the authorities