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Asia-Pacific Forum on Science Learning and Teaching, Volume 8, Issue 2, Article 3 (Dec., 2007) Effect of the usage of laboratory method in primary school education for the achievement of the students' learning |
Before the application, Science and Technology Success Test is applied as a pre-test to the experiment group and the control group. For the experiment group, the average of the correct answers of the pre-test is seen as 10.78 and the average of the correct answers of the pre-test for the control group is seen as 10.64. It is understood that there is no significant difference between the pre-test results of the experiment group and the control group. (p=0.547). (Table I) .
Table I. The “t” test results related to the science and technology success test, Pre-Test Grades of the Experiment Group and the Control Group Students
Test
Groups
N
X
SS
t
P
Science and Technology Achievement Test
Experimental Group
14
10.78
3.10
0.931
0.547
Control Group
14
10.64
3.37
As seen in Table II, the averages of the grades which the control group students having science teaching method by laboratory method, of the science and technology success test, post- test are higher than the grades that they have received from the pre-test application. While the correct answer average of the control group in the pre-test is 10.64, the correct answer averages which are gained from the test performed after the application of science teaching method with laboratory method in five-week session has increased to 15.50. Here, it can be understood that the control group students have developed their levels by increasing the correct answer ratios of the science and technology success test at the end of five weeks.
Table II. “t” test results of the control group students’ Science and Technology Success Test, Pre-Test and Post-Test Grades
Test
Control Group
N
X
SS
t
P
Science and Technology Achievement Test
Pre-Test
14
10.64
3.37
-5
.00
Post-Test
14
15.50
5.03
“t” test is applied to the control group in order to find a significant difference between the averages of the grades which they have received from the science and technology success test, pre-test and post-test applications and a significant difference is determined (p=0.00).
Table III. the “t” test results of the experiment group students’ science and technology success test, Pre-Test and Post-Test Grades
Test
Experimental Group
N
X
SS
t
P
Science and Technology Achievement Test
Pre-Test
14
10.78
3.10
-5
.00
Post-Test
14
17.21
4.96
As seen in Table III, the averages of the grades which the experiment group students having science teaching method by laboratory method, of the science and technology success test, post-test are higher than the grades that they have received from the pre-test application. While the correct answer average of the experiment group in the pre-test is 10.78, the correct answer averages which are gained from the test performed after the application of science teaching method with laboratory method in five-week session has increased to 17.21.
“t” test is applied to the experiment group in order to find a significant difference between the averages of the grades which they have received from the science and technology success test, pre-test and post-test applications and a significant difference is determined (p=0.00).Table IV. The “t” test results related to the science and technology success test, Post-Test Grades of the Experiment Group and the Control Group Students
Test
Groups
N
X
SS
t
P
Science and Technology Achievement Test
Experimental Group
14
17.21
4.96
0.418
0.942
Control Group
14
15.50
5.03
As seen in Table IV, the average of the grades which the experiment group students to whom the science teaching method by the laboratory method received from the science and technology success test post-test are higher than the average of the grades which they have received from the post-test with traditional science teaching method. While the correct answer average of the experiment group in the post-test is 17.21, it is determined that the correct answer averages of the control group in the post- test are 15.50.
In general, according to the arithmetical averages of the correct answer ratios of the science and technology success test post- test results of the students, they are higher in favor of the experiment group (Table IV).
When the statistical values are considered in the experiment and control groups before the application, according to the pre-test results, there is no significant difference in the science and technology success test (Table I). At the end of the application, during the teaching of “Reproduction, Growth and Development in Living Things” Unit, it is given as the post-test to all the students in order to evaluate the effect of two different educations to the success of the students. It is seen that the experiment group students have gained more information than the control group students.It is found that both the experiment group and the control group students have gained achievements statistically according to the science and technology success test post-test data (Table IV). The arithmetical averages of the post-test results of the experiment group students are higher then the results of the control group students. These findings support the findings of Tobin, 1986; Gürdal, 1991; Freedman, 1997; Bağcı et al., 1999; Gürdal and Yavru, 1998; Serin, 2002.
