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Asia-Pacific Forum
on Science Learning and Teaching, Volume 11, Issue 2, Article 5 (Dec., 2010) |
1. Because of the time and equipment problems, teachers are not able to do all of the activities. With animations all activities can be easily done. We noticed that some more animations could be made to support the learning of the topics floating, sinking and buoyancy force.
2. Although teaching in both groups is done according to the 5E instructional model, there is a significant difference in favor of the EG. This shows that instructional material based on the 5E instructional model combined with different teaching methods and techniques is more effective than the current instructional material, which is also based on the 5E instructional model. So, more instructional activities about science concepts, including different teaching methods and techniques, should be prepared. These materials should be applied and their effects on removing alternative conceptions should be determined.
3. We used different teaching methods and techniques together in this study. But we do not know exactly which technique mostly removed students’ alternative conceptions and in what stage of the 5E instructional model. It means we have not collected enough data in the implementation process of the materials. We just collected data and came to a conclusion from the pretest and posttest data.
4. We know that every student learns in a different way or has different attitudes towards different techniques. When we use many techniques in one lesson, the diversity of students’ attention and motivation towards lessons could be increased. In this way individual difference is also taken into consideration.
5. In order to learn floating, sinking and buoyancy force concepts meaningfully; volume, density and mass concepts should be learned initially. Thus, volume, density and mass concepts should be taught and understood before the floating, sinking and buoyancy concepts are presented. Relationships between mass, volume and density should be taught with more animations and experiments explaining the changing of volumes of similar and different subjects.
6. The teacher-centered approach should not be rejected completely. If alternative concepts could not be removed by using all the up-to-date teaching methods and techniques, then the teacher-centered approach should be put into practice.
7. Activities that work should be prepared so that teachers have chance to select the appropriate level for his/her students and more support (equipment, activity books, guide books, interdisciplinary support by other colleagues) should be given to teachers to apply them so most teachers attention will be drawn into meaningful science teaching.
Acknowledgement: This study was supported by the Research Fund of Karadeniz Technical University, Project Number: 2007.116.04.2.
