Investigation of Pre-Service Science Teachers’ Opinions about Using GoAnimate to Create Animated Videos

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the process of animated video creation by pre-service science teachers and analyze their opinions about how this technology can be used for science instruction. Fifteen pre-service science teachers participated in this study. During the study, students learned how to prepare animated videos using GoAnimate program, then they were required to prepare their own animations related to their middle school science subjects. This research is designed as a qualitative case study. Sample of the study was selected using criterion and easily accessible sampling methods to determine the participants. The data was collected through the face-to-face individual interviews. A semi-structured interview form that contains the questions related with the animated video creation process and pre-service teachers’ opinions about this technology has been prepared by the researchers. The duration of the interviews was around 15 minutes. Content analysis was used for the data analysis. According to the findings: the pre-service science teachers who participated in the study did not have any prior experience with animation technology, they had some difficulties to use this technology for the first time; most of them stated that animated videos would be engaging and could be endearing, but they had concerns about that students would be more interested in visuals instead of deeper understanding; they perceived animated videos being more helpful for middle school level and also suggested GoAnimate should have more characters available for science animations. In line with the research findings, several suggestions were given for the use of visual materials in science education.