Effect of cooperative learning based on conceptual change conditions on seventh grade students' understanding of classification of matter and physical and chemical changes


Tezin Türü: Doktora

Tezin Yürütüldüğü Kurum: Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi, Eğitim Fakültesi, Matematik ve Fen Bilimleri Eğitimi Bölümü, Türkiye

Tezin Onay Tarihi: 2006

Öğrenci: ARZU ERDEMİR

Danışman: ÖMER GEBAN

Özet:

The main purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of the cooperative learning based on conceptual change conditions and traditionally designed science instruction on 7th grade students̕ understanding of chemical and physical changes and classification of matter concepts and attitudes toward science as a school subject. In this study 102 seventh grade students from four classes of a Science Course instructed by the two teachers from ODTÜ G.V. Özel Ilkögretim Okulu took part. One of the classes of each teacher was randomly assigned as experimental group, which were instructed with cooperative learning based on conceptual change conditions and the other classes were assigned as control group, which were instructed traditionally. This study was conducted during the 2004-2005 fall semester over a period of four weeks. In this study, to examine the effect of the treatment on dependent variables; science achievement related to chemical and physical changes and classification of matter concepts measured with Classification and Changes of Matter Concepts Test, and science attitude scores measured with Attitude Scale Toward Science as a school subject. Science Process Skills Test was used at the beginning of the study to determine students̕ science process skills. ANCOVA and ANOVA were used testing the hypotheses of the study. The results showed that the cooperative learning based on conceptual change conditions group had a significantly higher scores with respect to achievement related to chemical and physical changes and classification of matter concepts than the traditionally designed science instruction group. However, there is no significant difference between the mean scores of cooperative learning based on conceptual change conditions group and traditionally designed science instruction group with respect to attitudes toward science as a school subject.