A Study on the Viewpoints of Preschool Teacher Candidates on Design of Instructional Materials Course

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to find out the viewpoints of preschool teacher candidates on Design of Instructional Materials course. The survey was conducted among 55 students in the third-year of the undergraduate programme in Preschool Teaching in the Faculty of Education Sciences at Ankara University, Turkey. The data were collected through a form with open ended questions which allowed the students to evaluate the course. The evaluation form included questions about the knowledge and skills the students acquired at the end of the course, and their expectations and suggestions concerning the course. The students’ replies to the questions were recorded, and the expressions in their replies were summarized and interpreted by descriptive analysis technique. According to the findings obtained from the analysis of the forms, the teacher candidates mentioned most frequently that their creativity improved and that they were able to design creative products in Design of Instructional Materials course. Asked what they wished to learn most in this course, the respondents mostly mentioned the integration of various techniques and applications such as origami. The teacher candidates made such suggestions as using diverse techniques such as stone painting and papier mache, employing different design types such as industrial design or toy design, developing materials in collaboration with children, and applying all these in a setting of practice in the following years in Design of Instructional Materials course. The findings of the study were discussed, and suggestions were made.