Abstract

The study aims to determine education faculty students’ cognitive structures regarding professional concepts, and to reveal the views of the students and faculty members about conceptual teaching. The participants of the study, which was designed as a case study, were determined using the criterion sampling method. In the study, which was carried out with a total of 69 education faculty second grade students and with one faculty member responsible for the course of Introduction to Educational Sciences, Word Association Test and semi-structured interview forms were used as the data collection tools. The results of descriptive analysis demonstrated that the concept in which the students had the lowest level of misconception was the concept of curriculum, and that the concept of education was the one with the highest level of misconception and with the most superficial knowledge. In addition, the data obtained by interviews were analyzed with inductive content analysis. It was found that the teaching-learning process carried out in relation to professional concepts contributed to professional competency; that factors like use of learning strategies and different information sources supported the process; and that the students’ misconceptions and the faculty member’s use of a single teaching method made the teaching process difficult. In the study, it was concluded that it is necessary to give examples related to concepts, and to use various teaching methods and techniques for the improvement of the process.

Key words: Cognitive structure, professional concept, teacher training.