An Investigation of Pre-Service Teachers’ Inquiry Skills and Curiosity Levels

Abstract

The main purpose of this research is to examine the pre-service teachers’ inquiry skills and curiosity levels according to different variables and to determine whether there is a relationship between them. The research was designed as a descriptive study in the survey model. The sample is composed of pre-service teachers. The data was collected using by the “Inquiry Skills Scale” and the “Curiosity Scale”. Demographic characteristics are determined by the "Personal Information Form". The data was analyzed with SPSS-Windows 22.00 package program and findings were presented in the order of sub-problems. Findings indicate that, pre-service teachers’ inquiry skills were above the medium value and curiosity levels were at the medium value. In terms of inquiry skills, only a significant difference was found in favor of the male pre-service teachers according to gender, and final grade pre-service teachers according to grade level in the “self-confidence” sub-dimension. According to the levels of curiosity, there was a meaningful difference in favor of female pre-service teachers in terms of gender and pre-school preservice teachers in terms of undergraduate program. There was a positively moderate, meaningful relationship between inquiry skills and curiosity levels of pre-service teachers. Suggestions regarding the questioning ability and curiosity levels of the pre-service teachers were presented in the findings direction.