Asia-Pacific Forum on Science Learning and Teaching, Volume 9, Issue 1, Article 4 (June, 2008) Hilal AKTAMIŞ & Ömer ERGIN The effect of scientific process skills education on students’ scientific creativity, science attitudes and academic achievements Previous Contents Next

Findings and Comments

1. First sub-problem : Is there any significant difference between the academic achievements of the students who got and did not get the SPS (scientific process skills) training according to their pre-test and post-test results?

The averages of pre-test and post-test achievement scores of the groups were compared by the t-test analysis.

Table I. Achievement Scale Pre-Tests of Experimental and Control Groups

	Number (N)	Mean (the highest score: 22)	Standard Deviation	t	p	Significance Level
Pre-test (experimental)	20	9.00	4.70	1.83	0.075	p > 0.05 Not significant
Pre-test (control)	20	6.90	2.04
* p<0.05

According to the results given in Table I, there is no significant difference between the achievement levels of the experimental and control groups before the application. The achievement levels of both groups were close to each other before the application.

Table II. Achievement Scale Post-Tests of Experimental and Control Groups

	Number (N)	Mean (the highest score: 22)	Standard Deviation	t	p	Significance Level
Pre-test (experimental)	20	12.90	5.15	3.83	0.001	p < 0.05 Significant
Pre-test (control)	20	8.30	3.08
* p<0.05

When Table II is examined, it is seen that there was a significant difference between the achievement scores of the experimental and control groups after the application. And when the averages of both groups were examined in order to determine is the difference, it is seen that there was a significant difference in favour of experimental group.

2. Second sub-problem : Is there any significant difference between the attitudes towards science of the students who got and did not get the SPS training according to their pre-test and post-test results?

The averages of pre-test and post-test attitude scores of the groups were compared using the t-test analysis.

Table III. Attitude Scale Pre-Tests of Experimental and Control Groups

	Number (N)	Mean (the lowest score: 0,  the highest score: 90)	Standard Deviation	t	p	Significance Level
Pre-test (experimental)	20	65.05	8.38	-0.49	0.627	p > 0.05 Not significant
Pre-test (control)	20	66.50	10.26
* p<0.05

According to the results given in Table III, there is no significant difference between the attitude levels of the experimental and control groups before the application. This result shows that the attitude levels of both groups were close to each other before the application.

The results of the attitude scale scores obtained after applying the scale again after the application are given in Table IV.

Table IV. Attitude Scale Post-Tests of Experimental and Control Groups

	Number (N)	Mean (the lowest score: 0, the highest score: 90)	Standard Deviation	t	p	Significance Level
Pre-test (experimental)	20	72.45	7.16	0.76	0.454	p > 0.05 Not significant
Pre-test (control)	20	70.75	7.06
* p<0.05

When the Table IV is examined, it is shown that there was no statistically significant difference between the attitude scores of the experimental and control groups after the application according to the significance level of a = 0.05. The attitudes towards science for both group is close to each other. However when we look at the averages of attitude scores of both groups before and after the application, there was an increase in both groups and the increase in the experimental group was higher. However this increase is not so great as to make a significant difference.

3. Third sub-problem: Is there any significant difference between the scientific creativities of the students who got and did not get the SPS training according to their pre-test and post-test results?

The averages of pre-test and post-test scientific creativity scores of the groups were compared by using t-test analysis. The results of pre-test SC scores obtained from the control and experimental group before the application are given in table V.

Table V.  Scientific Creativity Scale Pre-Tests of Experimental and Control Groups

	Number (N)	Mean	Standard Deviation	t	p	Significance Level
Pre-test (experimental)	20	17.30	4.99	1.00	0.321	p > 0.05 Not significant
Pre-test (control)	20	15.65	5.38
* p<0.05

According to the results given in Table V, there is no significant difference between the SC levels of the experimental and control groups before the application. This result shows that the SC levels of both groups were close to each other before the application. The results of SC scale scores obtained after applying the scale again after the application are given in table VI.

Table VI. Scientific Creativity Scale Post-Tests of Experimental and Control Groups

	Number (N)	Mean	Standard Deviation	t	p	Significance Level
Pre-test (experimental)	20	21.85	4.88	5.11	0.000	p < 0.05 Significant
Pre-test (control)	20	14.30	4.45
* p<0.05

As seen in Table VI, there is a significant difference between total SC scores of the experimental and control groups after the application according to the significance level of a = 0.05. Looking at the averages to determine what the difference is, it is seen that there was a significant difference in favour of experimental group.