Fen ve Teknoloji Dersinde Verilen Ödevlerin Öğrenci Görüşlerine Göre Değerlendirilmesi

Bu çalışma, ilköğretim okullarının II. kademesindeki öğrencilerin Fen ve Teknoloji derslerinde verilen ev ödevlerine ilişkin görüşlerini değerlendirmek amacıyla yapılmıştır. Araştırmada, survey tarama yöntemi kullanılmıştır. Araştırmanın evreni, Konya il merkezinde bulunan ilköğretim okullarının II. kademesinde öğrenim görmekte olan öğrencilerdir. Bu araştırmanın örneklemini, Konya il merkezinde bulunan ilköğretim okullarında II. kademede öğrenim gören 426 öğrenci oluşturmuştur. Araştırmada veri toplama aracıolarak 23 anket sorusu uygulanmıştır. Anket formu geliştirilirken, İlköğretim Okulu Programıincelenmişve program geliştirme ve değerlendirme ile ilgili literatür taranmıştır. Ayrıca, olasıanket maddeleri için uzman görüşlerine başvurulmuştur. Hazırlanan anket, fen eğitimcileri tarafından incelenerek araştırmanın amacına uygun olduğuna ve araştırma konusunu kapsadığına, yani kapsam geçerliliği olduğuna karar verilmiştir. Anket, çalışma grubuna uygulanmadan önce, örnekleme uygun bir alt gruba uygulanarak anketin güvenilirlik katsayısıCronbach alfa formülünden yararlanılarak 0.81 olarak bulunmuştur. Anket sonucunda elde edilen bulgular istatistik metotlarla kodlanarak SPSS paket programında değerlendirilmiştir. Öğrencilerin her bir soruya vermişolduklarıcevapların frekans f ve yüzde % değerleri Tablo 1’de verilmişve yorumlanmıştır. Araştırma sonucunda elde edilen bulgular şu şekilde özetlenebilir; Verilen ev ödevlerinin fen ve teknoloji konularınıanlamada ve öğrenilenleri pekiştirmede önemli bir rölü olduğu görüşü hakimdir. Öğretmelerin ev ödevlerini kontrol etmelerinin öğrencilerin ödevlere daha fazla önem vermelerini sağladığıgörüşü ağırlıkta olup, öğrenci-öğretmen etkileşimini geliştirdiği görülmektedir. Öğrencilerin grup çalışması şeklinde yaptıklarıödevlerin öğrenmede kalıcılığıartırdığıbelirlenmiştir. Ödevlerin güncel konularla ilgili olması, öğrencileri ödev yapmada istekli kılmakta ve güncel konularıyorumlamada katkısağlamaktadır.

Assignments are among the tasks performed out of the classroom. According to Oğuzkan 1985 , they are the physical and mental tasks that students have to do for a certain topic or a unit dealt within the class. Assignments, enabling learning out of the context of the classroom, are one of the most effective tools that make previous learning experiences more meaningful and relevant. Moreover, they enable new experiences to be gained most effectively. According to Ergün and Özdaş 1997 assignments are important tools of control for revealing the maturity and knowledge levels of the students who are conducting them. Assignments have a further role in the application of previously acquired knowledge and skills to newly learned items and hence enabling a better adaptation. According to the recent education program of the Ministry of Education MEB, 2000 , teachers are expected to be people who are planning activities, providing an atmosphere enabling comprehension, making their students ponder, lead and guiding them rather than teaching the topic before the whiteboard. Doing assignments and studying for the classes can be regarded as new skills to be acquired for the children who have just started with their primary education. However, doing assignments and studying for the lessons are not are not issues of natural development but a quality to be acquired later on. Barnes 2001 mentions that giving assignments is a common application and teaching strategy applied since ages by teachers around the world. Assignments are probably witnessed since the first years of schooling and programmed education, commonly used throughout the world as an application of teaching by the teachers Gündüz, 2005 . Demirel 2000 states that education programs are not arrangements limited just to school but for learning experience out of school as well. Therefore, the school related activities to be conducted out of school are not to be regarded as items out of the teaching process but as activities that are supporting the teaching process or as items that can be replacements of the actual learning situation. As science is the accumulation of results and experiences gained from the outcomes of studies made in order to make man’s life more comfortable and secure, its development day by day is quite natural. In line with the scientific enhancements, technology will also develop and change rapidly. As natural sciences plays a major role in the development of science and technology, the education of natural sciences plays also a major role. There are many variables affecting the success of the students in Natural Sciences classes. One of the indirect variables is assignments. Assignments have besides teaching also an educative value. The present study is conducted to evaluate students’ view regarding the assignments they are given in Natural Sciences and Technology classes at the secondary stage of the primary education. In the present study, survey method is applied for data collection. The scope of the study consists of the students enrolled at the secondary stage of the primary education within the city center of Konya. The sample of the study consists of the 426 students at the secondary stage of primary education enrolled at the following schools within Konya; İbrahim Hakkı Konyalı, 24 Kasım, Çatalhüyük Ali Yaman, Şehit Albay İbrahim Karaoğlanoğlu, Müslüme Ali Yaman, Şeker, Şehit Pilot Bayan Ayfer Gök, Zafer ve Mehmet-Şükriye Sert. In the study, the data collection tool is the 23-item questionnaire compiled out of the information present in the literature Yücel, 2004 applied to 426 students at the secondary stage of the primary education. In the development of the questionnaire, the curriculum of the primary schools was analyzed and relevant literature on curriculum development and evaluation surveyed. Besides, regarding each item the views of the experts were also taken into consideration. The questionnaire was evaluated by natural science lecturers and regarded as in line with the aim of the study and covering the research topic. In other words, the questionnaire had also content validity. Before the questionnaire was applied to the main study group, it was applied to a sample group and its reliability score determined as 0.81 using Cronbach Alfa formula. After this evaluation, the questionnaire took its final form as a 23-item survey. The results obtained form the survey questions revealed that it represented the scope of the study and was thus regarded as sufficient for the study. Hence, the 23 items questionnaire was considered to be sufficient for providing the data necessary for the present study. The effect of unpredictable variables are regarded as the same for each participant of the study. Nevertheless, the limitation of the present study consists of the students attending the Natural Sciences and Technology classes at the secondary stage of the primary education in Konya city- center during the 2005-2006 school period and the assignments they were given in these classes. The results of the survey were statistically coded and evaluated using SPSS packet program. The frequency f and the percentages % provided by the participants for each item in the survey are given in Table 1. The findings of Table 1 are evaluated as well. The results of the present study can be summarized as follows: There is a wide acceptance that assignment lead to the comprehension and reinforcement of the topics dealt with in Natural Sciences and Technology classes. Teachers’ assignment control leads to a better student-teacher relationship. Moreover, students’ awareness of the control of the assignment by the teacher leads to more attention to the assignment. The students learn throughout the assignments conducted as a group work. Assignments dealing with up-to-date issues leads to more willingness for the assignments and enable them to comment on these. Following suggestions are made in line with the results obtained: The assignments given should be backed up with different activities. These should while entertaining the students also lead to their learning. The assignments given should be planned so as to reinforce the topics previously learned and prepare for the coming ones. Assignments given are to be controlled by the teachers. This will lead both to reinforcing the topics learnt, correction of the mistakes made, and the assignments taken seriously by the students. Teachers should pay attention that the assignments given lead to research, arouse interest of the students, and direct them for learning of the coming topics. They should also prepare the students to the exams. If the assignments enable the students to use multimedia facilities, they will enable the student develop an appreciation for these and make them become more willing. If they are related with current topics, they will enable the students to make a connection with the current topics and learn more easily