SUAT UNAL

Karadeniz Technical University, Secondary Science and Mathematics Education, Faculty Member

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Suat Ünal is Professor of Chemistry Education at Karadeniz Technical University. He has a wide range of research interests including the determination of students' misconceptions, design and implementation of instructions to remediate students' misconception, and computer aided instruction and animations to achieve conceptual change. He has about 30 articles published in a range of journals, and acts as reviewer for some journals on science education.
Phone: 90-462-3777116
Address: Karadeniz Technical University, Fatih Faculty of Education, Department of Secondary Science and Mathematics Education, 61335-Sogutlu
Trabzon/TURKEY

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Papers by SUAT UNAL

Trends in Turkish Science Education

by SUAT UNAL and Faik Karatas

The aim of the study is to determine the trends in Turkish Science Education on the basis of both... more The aim of the study is to determine the trends in Turkish Science Education on the basis of both master and doctoral theses involved. The researchers reviewed the online databases of the Higher Education Council and Proquest as well as the web page of graduate school of each university in Turkey which presents thesis archieve and investigated 444 graduate theses abstracts/fulltexts in regard to their created matrix (Year, Research Interest, Research Methodology and Sample). The document analysis has pointed out that in terms of research interest two general trends are apparent in Turkish science education research: (1) introducing science education between 1990 and 2000 (2) keeping up with new perspectives in the line of international trends. Also, in view of research methodology although interpretive research methodology has also been preffered since 1997, descriptive research design has still dominated in this context. Some suggestions were made for future research.

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Türkiye'de Fen Bilimleri Eğitimi Alanındaki Program Geliştirme Çalışmalarına Genel Bir Bakış A General Look at the Science Curriculum Development Studies in Turkey

by SUAT UNAL and Faik Karatas

ÖZET Fen bilimleri eğitiminin kalitesini artırmada öğretim programları oldukça önemlidir. Bundan ... more ÖZET Fen bilimleri eğitiminin kalitesini artırmada öğretim programları oldukça önemlidir. Bundan dolayı geliştirilen öğretim programlarının incelenmesi ve yeni programların bu incelemelerden elde edilen veriler ışığında geliştirilmesi gerekmektedir. Bu gerekçeden yola çıkarak çalışmada günümüze kadar ülkemizde geliştirilen fen programları; planlama, uygulama ve değerlendirme aşamaları dikkate alınarak eleştirel bir bakışla açısıyla incelenmiştir. Yapılan incelemeler; programların planlama aşamalarında ayrıntılı ihtiyaç analizlerinin yeterince yapılmadığını, uygulama sürecinde gerekli olan koşulların tüm okullara sağlanamadığını ve uygulama sonrası etkili değerlendirmelerinin yapılamadığını göstermiştir. Bu çalışmada, belirlenen eksiklikler dikkate alınarak gelecekteki program geliştirme çalışmalarının her bir safhasına yönelik önerilerde bulunulmuştur.

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WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT STUDENTS' BELIEFS? CHANGES IN STUDENTS' CONCEPTIONS OF THE PARTICULATE NATURE OF MATTER FROM PRE-INSTRUCTION TO COLLEGE Submitted to Particulate and Structural Concepts of Matter

by SUAT UNAL and Faik Karatas

Studies about concepts show that in every stage of education students hold alternative beliefs th... more Studies about concepts show that in every stage of education students hold alternative beliefs that are different from today's scientific ideas. Related literature claims that one of the most crucial and fundamental concepts in chemistry are the particulate nature of matter (PNM). The literature stated that unless fundamental concepts are grasped by students, related concepts cannot be understood. Therefore, the purpose of this literature review is to compile students' ideas of the particulate nature of matter (PNM) in order to provide teachers and curriculum developers the necessary background knowledge to improve teaching and learning of the PNM. In this review, 28 articles that focused on investigating students' views of the PNM were examined. These articles include a broad range of students from pre-instruction (early elementary) level to college level. Generally, interviews were the main data-collection method. However, paper-pencil tests and students' drawings were also employed. The viewed articles demonstrated students' views of the PNM varied from a continuous form of matter to sophisticated ionic and molecular representations. Although students' ideas became more sophisticated with age, some of them still incorporated macroscopic ideas in some aspects of the particular matter and this prevents them from learning both the particulate nature of matter and the related concepts.

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First-year engineering students' views of the nature of engineering: implications for engineering programmes

by SUAT UNAL and Faik Karatas

A study was conducted on the views of the nature of engineering held by 114 first-year engineerin... more A study was conducted on the views of the nature of engineering held by 114 first-year engineering majors; the study built on prior work on views of the nature of science held by students, their instructors, and the general public. Open-coding analysis of responses to a 12-item questionnaire suggested that the participants held tacit beliefs that engineering (1) involves problem solving; (2) is a form of applied science; (3) involves the design of artefacts or systems; (4) is subject to various constraints; and (5) requires teamwork. These beliefs, however, were often unsophisticated, and significant aspects of the field of engineering as described in the literature on engineering practices were missing from the student responses. The results of this study are important because students' beliefs have a strong influence on what they value in a classroom situation, what they attend to in class, and how they choose to study for a course.

The Effects of Argumentation Model on Students’ Achievement and Argumentation Skills in Science

Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2012

The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of argumentation model on students’ achieveme... more The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of argumentation model on students’ achievement on the unit of “States of Matter and Heat”, and also to determine how to change students’ argumentation skills during the instruction through argumentation model. Semi-experimental design was used in this study. The sample was comprised of totally 40 eight grade students from two different classes in a primary school. An achievement test and semi-structured interviews were used to collect data. The achievement test was implemented to both experimental and control groups as pre- and post-tests. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with students to determine students’ views about the lessons in which argumentation model was used. Also, all discussions in the science lessons were audio recorded to determine how to change students’ argumentation skills during the instruction of the unit. Results showed that argumentation model had positive effects on students’ achievement and conceptual understanding on the unit, and there was a significant difference between experimental and control groups in favor of the experimental group. Moreover, the analyses of the data obtained from the interviews and audio recordings clearly indicated that experimental group students’ argumentation skills were improved gradually during the instruction.

A Review of Chemical Bonding Studies: Needs, Aims, Methods of Exploring Students' Conceptions, General Knowledge Claims and Students' Alternative Conceptions

by SUAT UNAL and Alipaşa Ayas

Research in Science & …, 2006

Page 1. Research in Science & Technological Education Vol. 24, No. 2, November 2006, pp. 141... more

Investigating the Effectiveness of a Constructivist-Based Teaching Model on Student Understanding of the Dissolution of Gases In Liquids

Journal of Science Education …, 2007

Page 1. Investigating the Effectiveness of a Constructivist-based Teaching Model on Student Under... more

Facilitating Conceptual Change In Students' Understanding of Boiling Concept

Journal of Science Education …, 2007

Page 1. Facilitating Conceptual Change in Students' Understanding of Boiling Concept Bayram ... more

Books by SUAT UNAL

Kahoot!

by Tuğba KOCADAĞ ÜNVER, Ozan Filiz, and SUAT UNAL

Kahoot!, öğrenmeyi eğlenceli kılan Norveç Araştırma Konseyi tarafından fi- nanse edilen ücr... more Kahoot!, öğrenmeyi eğlenceli kılan Norveç Araştırma Konseyi tarafından fi- nanse edilen ücretsiz bir oyun tabanlı öğrenme platformudur. Platform içeriğin- deki birbirinden farklı dört modül ile kullanıcılarına çevrimiçi anlık değerlendir- me olanağı sunmaktadır. Kullanımı için sadece temel düzeyde bilgisayar kullanım becerisi ve internet bağlantısı gerektiren platform ile çevrimiçi eğlenceli uygula- malar hazırlanabilmektedir. Kahoot! ile öğretim faaliyetleri sonrası kazanımlara ulaşılma düzeyini belirleme amacıyla çoktan seçmeli kısa sınavlar (quiz), verilen seçeneklerin soruya göre sıraya konulduğu sıralama sınavları (jumble), tek soruluk basit tartışma ya da herhangi bir konuda hedef kitlenin fikirlerini eğlenceli bir şe- kilde almak için tartışmalar (discussion) ve son olarak da doğru ya da yanlış cevap barındırmayan eğlendirirken bireysel görüşleri alan anketler (survey) oluşturu- labilir. Geleneksel değerlendirme süreçlerinin aksine günümüz dijital yerlilerini, çevrimiçi ortamlarda oyun teması temel alınarak eğlenceli bir öğrenim deneyimi yaşama, anlık olarak sonuçlara erişme, değerlendirme ve geri bildirim sürecini kı- saltması açısından olukça kullanışlı bir platformdur. Bu bölümde Kahoot! ile kısa sınav, sıralama sınavı, tartışma ve anket etkinliklerinin nasıl hazırlanacağı detaylı bir şekilde anlatılmaktadır.

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Trends in Turkish Science Education

by SUAT UNAL and Faik Karatas

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Türkiye'de Fen Bilimleri Eğitimi Alanındaki Program Geliştirme Çalışmalarına Genel Bir Bakış A General Look at the Science Curriculum Development Studies in Turkey

by SUAT UNAL and Faik Karatas

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