The influence of argumentation based instruction on sixth grade students' attitudes toward science, conceptual understandings of physical and chemical change topic and argumentativeness


Tezin Türü: Yüksek Lisans

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

Tezin Onay Tarihi: 2011

Öğrenci: BAHRİYE ZÜHAL OĞUZ ÇAKIR

Danışman: JALE ÇAKIROĞLU

Özet:

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of argumentation based instruction on sixth grade students‟ attitudes toward science, development of conceptual understanding about physical and chemical change topic, and argumentativeness. This study was carried out during 2010-2011 spring semester at a public elementary school in Ankara. A total of 65 sixth grade students from two intact classes were theparticipants of this study. The sample was chosen conveniently. Students in the experimental group instructed with argumentation based instruction and the students in the control group received traditional instruction. The data of the study were collected by quantitave measurements. The Science Attitude Scale developed by Geban, Ertepınar, Yılmaz, Altın and ġahbaz (1994) was administered as pre-test and post-test to examine the impacts of instructional strategies on students‟ attitudes toward science. The Physical and Chemical Change Concept Test developed by the researcher was administered as pre-test and post-test to examine the effects of instructional strategies on students‟ conceptual understanding about the topic of physical and chemical change. The data about the influence of the instructional strategies on students‟ argumentativeness were collected through Argumentativeness Scale developed by Infante and Rancer (1982). The scale was implemented as pre-test and post-test. The results of the study related with SAS scores were revealed that students in experimental group developed more positive attitudes toward science than students in the control group. The analysis of the PCCCT scores of the students in both groups indicated that students in the experimental group developed their conceptual understanding better than students in the control group. Finally, students in the experimental group were significantly better than students in the control group in argumentativeness scores.