Asia-Pacific Forum on Science Learning and Teaching, Volume 8, Issue 2, Article 3 (Dec., 2007) Osman CARDAK, Kerim ONDER and Musa DIKMENLI Effect of the usage of laboratory method in primary school education for the achievement of the students' learning Previous Contents Next

Materials and methods

This research is in a testing model. In the research, an experiment group to which the laboratory method is applied, and a control group to which the traditional science teaching is applied, are used. This research has continued for 5 weeks in the fall semester of 2006-2007 school year by taking the necessary permissions from MEB official establishments. Totally 28 students has participated in the research in two different classes in which the same teacher from primary 6th classes, teaches the science and technology lesson. Two different applications are used in this research. In the control group, the traditional science learning method is used but in the experiment group, the laboratory method is used. Science and technology lessons are made in a regular way as four hours per week. The lesson is explained to the students in the control group in the traditional science teaching method. In this method, especially direct explaining method is used and the teacher is more active than the student. Also question-answer technique and the discussion method are used. It is explained to the students that they should read the subject of the lesson before they participate the lesson. The necessary precautions are taken in order to perform the discussions related to the subject in a democratic environment and during the lesson, these behaviors are also considered. It is highlighted that the students have to listen the teacher carefully during the lesson. Also if a subject cannot be understood in the lesson or there is problem that the students cannot solve, they need to ask their teachers directly. To avoid from the behaviors which can make concentration difficult during the lesson, the questions and requests except the subject of the lesson especially during the subject is being explained are highlighted. The students in the experiment group are worked with the laboratory method. Before the study, the students are informed about the importance of making experiments in the science and technology lessons and the necessity of the laboratory, the rules which they have to obey when studying in the laboratory, the scientific method stages which will be followed in the experiments, the security of the laboratory, the presentation of the laboratory materials, the preparation of the experiment report. Also the students are notified about that some experiments will be done when the lesson is being explained and some lessons will be performed after the lesson is explained. The students are warned about that the experiment reports of the students after the experiments will be regularly controlled by the teacher and they are conducted into the lesson. Also it is reminded to the students that the behaviors of each student are examined during the study and process stages and the necessary evaluations will be performed immediately.

During the “reproduction, growth and development in living things” unit, suitable activities related to the subjects are developed. While the activities are developing; it is also benefited from the biology laboratory applications book which is written by Afyon et al. (2005) and Primary school 6th grade science and technology lesson book which is written by Keskin, Özer, M. et al. (2006). Because the applications are based on the student-based techniques, experiments, investigations and observations and measurements and activities developing creative thought, shortly the name “Activity” is given for all the applications generally.

During this study, Science and Technology Success Test is given to the all the students in the experiment group and in the control group, at the beginning of the unit as a pre-test and as a post- test at the end of the unit which is prepared by the researchers. This test, which was developed by the researchers, consisted of 30 multiple choice questions. Every question had one right and four misleading answers. This test was examined by the experts and its reliability was calculated as 0.81. Example question related to the unit named “reproduction, growth and development of the living things” was given below;

Question: Which one of the following is reproduction by spores.
a) Pear b) Pine c) Plum d) Plane tree e) Bracken

At the beginning of the research, the necessary explanations about the pre-test and the post-test are made and the students are informed to give intimate answers when answering the test questions. Also the students are informed about the purpose of this study.

Two separate 6^th grade students which the same teacher  in Turkey have developed the working group of this research. It is paid attention to form the classes which form the experiment and control groups to be in a homogenous structure. One written instrument is used in this research.

In the data analysis of the research, “t” test and percentage expressions are used. As the significance level, α = 0.05 is used. (p<0.05)