Effect of Hands-On Science Activities on Students’ Academic Achievement and Scientific Attitude

Gamze Kırılmazkaya, Sena Nur Dal

Abstract


In this study, it is aimed to investigate whether the science course taught by using simple tools has an effect on academic achievement and attitude towards science. For this purpose, a quasi-experimental model with pretest-posttest control group was used. The study group of this research consists of a total of 40 students, 21 (52.5%) girls and 19 (47.5%) boys, studying in a secondary school in the southeast of Turkey in the 2021-2022 academic year. The “Force and Energy achievement test” was used to determine the effect of science activities with simple tools on the academic achievement of students. the “Attitude towards Science Scale” was used in order to determine students’ attitudes towards science. The data obtained from the data collection tools used in the study were analyzed with the SPSS program. As a result of the research, it was determined that the activities performed with simple tools were effective in student success. This shows that the activities made with simple equipment are more effective on the academic success of the student than the traditional method. In the study, a significant difference was found in favor of the experimental group when the scientific attitude scale results of the control group taught with the traditional approach and the science activities performed with simple tools and the experimental group were compared. In conclusion, it was determined that science activities made with simple tools from student diaries create positive attitudes.

Keywords


Academic Achievement, Scientific Attitude, Force and Energy, Hands-on Science

Full Text:

PDF

References


Alkan-Dilbaz, G., Yanpar-Yelken, T., & Özgelen, S. (2016). The Effects of ınquiry-based learning on attitude towards science and technology course and inquiry skills. Elementary Education Online, 15(2), 708-722.

Ateş , Ö., & Eryılmaz, A. (2011). Effectiveness of hands-on and minds-on activities on students’ achievement and attitudes towards physics. Asia-Pacific Forum on Science Learning and Teaching, 12(1), 1-22.

Başdaş, E. (2007). The effect of science activities made with simple materials on scientific process skills, academic success and motivation in primary school science education [Master’s Thesis]. Celal Bayar University, Institute of Science and Technology, Manisa.

Başkurt, P. (2009). The effect of teaching the force and motion unit in 8th grade science and technology course with simple materials on success, persistence and attitude [Master’s Thesis]. Gazi University, Ankara.

Bilgin, İ. (2006). The effects of hands-on activities incorporating a cooperative learning approach on eight grade students’ science process skills and attitudes toward science. Journal of Baltic Science Education, 1(9), 27-37.

Bozan, M., & Küçüközer, H. (2007). Elemantary school students’ errors in solving problems releated to pressure subjects. Elementary Education Online, 6(1), 24-34.

Demirbaş, M. & Yağbasan, R. (2006). Functional importance of scientific attitudes in science teaching and adaptation study of scientific attitude scale into Turkish. Journal of the Faculty of Education XIX (2), 271-299.

Eryılmaz, A., & Hardal, Ö. (2004). Activities related to electric circuits developed according to learning by doing method with simple tools (10.06.21)

de Jong, T., Linn, M. C., & Zacharia, Z. C. (2013). Physical and virtual laboratories in science and engineering education. Science, 340(6130), 305-308.

Gülmez Güngörmez, H., & Akgün, A. (2018) An academic achievement test development study for the force and energy unit in the science course of secondary school students. Dialectolog National Journal of Social Sciences, 18(85-99).

Gürses, A., Doğan, Ç., Yalçın, M. & Canpolat, N. (2002). The Effect of conceptual change approach on students’ understanding of gases. V. National Science and Mathematics Education Congress, (16-18 September 2002). Middle East Technical University, Ankara.

Karamustafaoğlu, S., Coştu, B., & Ayas, A. (2005). Effectiveness of periodic table teaching with simple tools. Turkish Journal of Science Education, 2(1).

Karasar, N. (2005). Scientific research method. Ankara: Nobel Publishing House.

Koç, A., & Böyük, U. (2012). The effect of experiments with simple materials on the attitude towards science. Journal of Turkish Science Education, 9(4), 102-118.

Kontra, C., Lyons, D. J., Fischer, S. M., & Beilock, S. L. (2015). Physical experience enhances science learning. Psychological Science, 26(6), 737-749.

Leung, C. B. (2008). Preschoolers’ acquisition of scientific vocabulary through repeated read aloud events, retellings, and hands-on science activities. Reading Psychology, 29, 65-193.

Moore, W. R, & Foy, R. (1997). The Scientific Attitude Inventory: A Revision (SAI II) Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 34(4), 327-336.

National Center for Improving Science Education (NCISE). (1995). Providing hands-on, minds-on and authentic learning experiences in science, 28.03.2022, http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/content/cntareas/science/sc500.htm

Nuhoğ lu, H. (2008). Evaluation of primary school students’ knowledge about motion and force. Journal of Inonu University Faculty of Education, 9(16), 123–140.

Paris, S. G., Yambor, K. M., & Packard, B. W. (1998). A museum-school university partnership for enhancing students’ interest and learning in science. The Elementary School Journal, 98(3), 267-288.

Uyanık, G. (2018). The effect of experiments with simple equipment on attitudes, academic achievement and permanence towards science course. OPUS International Journal of Society Researches, 9(16), 600-624. DOI: 10.26466/opus.462761

Uzal, S., Erdem, A., Önen, F., & Gürdal, A. (2010). Teachers’ views on science experiments with simple equipment and evaluation of in-service training. Necatibey Education Faculty Electronic Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 4(1), 64-84.

Sadi, Ö., & Ç akıroğ lu, J. (2011). Effects of hands-on activity enriched in- struction on students’ achievement and attitudes towards science. Journal of Baltic Science Education, 10(2), 87-97.

Satterthwait, D. (2010). Why are hands-on science activities so effective for student learning? Teaching Science, 56(2), 7-10.

Stohr-Hunt, P. M. (1996). An analysis of frequency of hands-on experience and science achievement. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 33(1), 101-109.

Yu, S. M., & Bethel, L. J. (1991). The influence of hands on science process skills traininş on preservice elementary teachers’ anxiety and concerns about teachinş science activities in Taiwan, republic of China. The Annual Meeting of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching, Lake Geneva (April 7-10, 1991).




DOI: https://doi.org/10.7575/aiac.ijels.v.10n.4p.56

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Bookmark and Share


Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

2013-2023 (CC-BY) Australian International Academic Centre PTY.LTD.

International Journal of Education and Literacy Studies  

You may require to add the 'aiac.org.au' domain to your e-mail 'safe list’ If you do not receive e-mail in your 'inbox'. Otherwise, you may check your 'Spam mail' or 'junk mail' folders.