Prospective Teachers’ Views of Inquiry-based Laboratory Activities

Abstract

This study aims to analyze prospective chemistry teachers’ views of inquiry-based laboratory
activities. A total of 21 prospective teachers taking the course of chemical experiments laboratories in
secondary education in a state university participated in the study. Case study was used in this study for indepth analysis of prospective chemistry teachers’ views. The data were collected through semi-structured
interviews and open-ended questions. The data, which were transcribed, was then put to content analysis.
Prospective chemistry teachers’ views of inquiry-based laboratories were analyzed by the researchers
through inductive coding process. In consequence, the prospective teachers’ views were divided into four
main categories. The categories mentioned were as in the following: the effects of inquiry-based laboratory
activities, inquiry-based laboratories and the process of learning, views on traditional laboratories, and
concerns about inquiry-based laboratories.