The Effects of Out-of-School Learning Settings Science Activities on 5th Graders’ Academic Achievement

Year 2018, Volume: 7 Issue: 3, 451 - 464, 15.07.2018

Busra Bakioglu , Orhan Karamustafaoglu , Sevilay Karamustafaoglu , Senay Yapici

https://doi.org/10.12973/eu-jer.7.3.451

Abstract

The
purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of lessons conducted in
out-of-school learning settings on 5th graders science achievement within the
scope of a guidance material that was prepared to be used in out-of-school
learning settings in accordance with the “Let’s Solve the Riddle of Our Body”
chapter objectives. The pretest / posttest equalized control group design,
which is one of the quasi-experimental designs, was used in this study. The
sample of this study was composed of a total of 31 5th grade students (15 were
in experimental group, 16 were in control group) that were selected from
secondary schools in the first semester of the 2015-2016 academic year in Tokat
Province. Let’s Solve the Riddle of Our Body Chapter Achievement Test (LeSROBAT)
was administered before and after the implementation of the guidance material
to measure the students’ achievements and retention. The lessons were conducted
as suggested by the current curriculum in the control group. The data were
analyzed using independent samples t-test and covariance analysis (ANCOVA). As
a result of the analyses, it was found that the LeSROBAT post-test scores of
experimental group were significantly higher than the control group. Within
this context, it was concluded that the out-of-school learning settings
positively contributed to academic achievement and the guidance material that
was developed within the scope of this study was effective. The results of
retention test analyses didn’t reveal any significant difference between the
posttest and retention test scores of experimental and control groups. When the
LeSROBAT retention test scores were examined, it was observed that the scores
of experimental group was higher than the control group.    

Keywords

Out-of-school learning settings, science course, academic achievement, let’s solve the riddle of our body chapter

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