Asia-Pacific Forum on Science Learning and Teaching, Volume 11, Issue 2, Article 6 (Dec., 2010) Gulcan CETIN and Seda Hilal NISANCI The effectiveness of the new 9th grade biology curriculum on students’ environmental awareness Contents Next

The effectiveness of the new 9^th grade biology curriculum on students’ environmental awareness

 

Gulcan CETIN¹ and Seda Hilal NISANCI²

¹Necatibey School of Education,
Balikesir University, 10100 Balikesir, TURKEY
E-mail: gulcan_cetin@hotmail.com, gcetin@balikesir.edu.tr

²Science Institute, Balikesir University,
10100 Balikesir, TURKEY
E-mail: hilalseda@hotmail.com

Received 13 Feb., 2010
Revised 24 Nov., 2010

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Contents

• Abstract
• Introduction
• Method
• Results
• Conclusions and recommendations
• References
• Appendix

 

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Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a new 9^th grade biology curriculum on students’ environmental awareness. Participants included 91 ninth grade students in a high school in Balikesir during the spring semester of the 2008-2009 academic years. Two classrooms, including 22 and 24 students respectively, were randomly assigned to a control group, and two classrooms, including 22 and 23 students respectively, were assigned to an experimental group. Three instruments were used in the study: The Environmental Awareness Questionnaire, a semi-structured observation form and a semi-structured interview form. The Environmental Awareness Questionnaire was administered to all students in the study as a pretest and as a posttest. While the experimental group received instructional methods used in the new 9^th grade biology curriculum, the control group received traditional instructional methods. Observations were also performed according to a semi-structured observation form and notes were taken during the five-week treatment. After the treatment, 10 students from the experimental group were interviewed using a semi-structured interview form. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and independent samples t-test in SPSS 12.0 software. The results of the study revealed that the instructional methods used in the new 9^th grade biology curriculum were more effective in increasing the ninth grade students’ environmental awareness than compared to traditional instructional methods.

Keywords: Environmental awareness, environmental education, 9^th grade biology curriculum