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Asia-Pacific Forum on Science Learning and Teaching, Volume 18, Issue 2, Article 14 (Dec., 2017) |
The quasi-experimental method was employed in this research. The research has pretest-posttest design with experimental and control groups. This method appoints the sample to the groups randomly and determines the groups (Cepni, 2010). The application was carried out in both experimental and control groups by the researcher.
The study population of the research consisted of 62 grade 11 students attending high school in the second semester of 2009-2010 academic year. The control group included 33 students and the experimental group included 29 students. These students were selected according to the random sampling rule.
Group and individual differences of students in both groups were minimized before starting the application by means of random appointment.In this research, Electric Current Achievement Test (ECAT), Science Attitude Scale were used as data collection tools.
Achievement Test
The achievement test which was used to determine the effect of the 5E model, suggested for the constructivist learning theory on academic achievement of students, was prepared by asking experts’ opinions. A test including 30 questions that match up with the attainments based on the grade 11 physics course book of the Ministry of National Education (MNE) was prepared. This test was conducted on 60 grade-12 students who studied this topic the previous year. Nine questions whose item distinguishing index was 0,19 or less were eliminated in consequence of SPSS 16.0 item analysis and the number of questions in ECAT was decreased to 21. The reliability of the test was determined as 0.863 by using Kr-20. Thus, the test which would be carried out in the experimental and control groups was obtained.Science Attitude Scale
The science attitude scale (SAS) which was carried out before and after the application was developed by Baykul (1999) and its reliability was calculated as 0.92. This 30-item likert-type attitude scale consists of 5 degrees including “I completely agree, I agree, I am doubtful, I disagree, I never disagree” (Dalkiran & Kesercioglu, 2005).The data collected in the research was analyzed using SPSS 16.0 statistical package program. Independent t test was used while evaluating the scores obtained from the electric current achievement test, the attitude scale related to physics lesson; comparing the experimental and control groups with each other. Dependent t test was employed to compare the pretest and posttest scores within both groups. In both t-tests, the significance level was accepted as 0.05.
The research was designed and applied in the process of 2009-2010 academic year. The research was designed according to the semi-experimental method and its application was carried out in the spring semester. The application phase of the research was carried out with 3 hours of lessons a week for 3 weeks in the experimental and control groups.
The 5E model developed by Bybee (1993) was used in the experimental group in which lessons are taught according to the computer-supported learning method which is based on the constructivist approach.
During the process of 3 hours of physics lessons per week, the students in the experimental group were divided into groups of two and three before applications. In order to provide an environment in which students would use their time productively while collaborating, they were allowed to choose their own group. Group work is a method which is effective especially in projects, collaborative learning, problem solving studies and workshops (Walker & Angela, 1998). This is appropriate for the 5E model. The purpose of dividing students into groups is to create a competition environment between the groups and encourage them help each other collaboratively.
Students in the experimental and control groups were administered the Electrical Current Success Test (ECAT) and the Lamps Luminance Success Test (LLST) as a pre-test.In order to enable the students in the experimental group to visualize the topic in their minds, increase visual richness during lessons, animations and demonstrations collected from various resources were displayed by means of computers. Besides, cartoons obtained from various resources and circuit schemas were exhibited at a location in the classroom that students could easily see during the application. Prepared worksheets and laboratory activities were applied.
In consequence of the study process, the Electric Current Achievement Test (ECAT) was applied as the posttest to both experimental and control group.
