The Views of Primary School Students about Radiation

Yıl 2016, Sayı: 10, 95 - 104, 25.07.2016

Sibel Karaca , Özgür Yeşiloğlu Önder Şimşek

Öz

Radiation is a matter in which we come across a lot in our lives and something that students find difficult to understand. The study is intended to investigate opinions and thoughts of secondary school students about radiation issue. In this study, a total of 222 students from 3 different primary schools in Province of Erzurum, Turkey were given a test consisting of 7 open ended questions which was prepared by the researcher. The age range of students participated in the study were 12-15 and 108 of them were female, 114 were male. Data were presented in tables with percentages and frequencies. The findings obtained in this study which was applied by qualitative research methods were analyzed using descriptive analysis method. After the evaluation of the answers given by the students, results of the study led to the following conclusions: that students lack an adequate knowledge of radiation, and because of this, 88% of them are frightened of radiation and they have negative views about radiation since they think it's dangerous and harmful. Students were found to have lack of information on the issues; the effects of radiation, radiation sources and methods of radiation protection. Sources of great trust and accuracy should be used while studying radiation. Radiation is useful but can cause great damage if precautions are not taken. School is the most important institution of obtaining accurate information. Only a small minority of students (17%) said that they obtained the information about radiation from textbooks and teachers. This study suggests that important topics, an example of one such topic is radiation, should be inserted into the educational program and introduced to the students at an early age. We recommend the construction of educational activities that introduce and familiarize students with radiation at specific time periods and suggest methods/techniques that will enable teachers to support these ideas.

Sibel Karaca* Özgür Yeşiloğlu ** Önder Şimşek

Öz

Radyasyon, günlük yaşantıda sıklıkla karşılaşılan ve öğrencilerin anlamada zorluk çektiği bir konudur. Çalışmada ortaokul öğrencilerinin radyasyon konusuyla ilgili görüş ve düşünceleri araştırılması amaçlanmıştır. Araştırma kapsamında Erzurum ili merkezinde üç farklı ortaokulda öğrenim gören toplam 222 ortaokul öğrencisine, araştırmacı tarafından oluşturulan 7 açık uçlu sorudan oluşan bir test uygulanmıştır. Çalışmaya katılan öğrencilerin yaş aralığı 12-15 ve 108’i kız, 114’ü erkektir. Veriler yüzde ve freakanslar içeren tablolar şeklinde sunulmuştur. Nitel araştırma yönteminin uygulandığı çalışmada elde edilen bulgular betimsel analiz yöntemi kullanılarak değerlendirilmesi sonucunda öğrencilerin radyasyon ile ilgi bilgi eksiklikleri olduğu, öğrencilerin büyük çoğunluğunun (%88) radyasyondan korktuğu ve radyasyon hakkında zararlı ve tehlikeli olduğuna yönelik olumsuz görüşlerin ön plana çıktığı gözlenmiştir. Öğrencilerin radyasyonun etkileri, radyasyon kaynakları ve radyasyondan korunma yöntemleri konularında bilgi eksiklikleri olduğu saptanmıştır. Radyasyon konusunda güvenilir bilgi kaynaklarından faydalanılmalıdır. Zira radyasyon faydalı olduğu kadar dikkat edilmediğinde büyük zararlar oluşturabilir. Okul en önemli doğru bilgi elde etme kurumudur. Öğrencilerin sadece küçük bir azınlığı (%17) radyasyon konusunda elde ettikleri bilgileri okul kitaplarından ve öğretmenlerden elde ettiklerini söylemişlerdir. Araştırma sonucunda okullardaki öğretim programına radyasyon konusu ile ilgili üniteler eklenmesi, radyasyon eğitimine erken yaşlarda başlanması, okullarda belli zaman dilimlerinde radyasyonla ilgili eğitim faaliyetleri düzenlemesi ve öğretmenlerin bu konuda desteklemeleri gerektiğine yönelik öneriler getirilmiştir

Anahtar Kelimeler

radyasyon, ortaokul öğrencileri, görüş

Kaynakça

• Acar, S. B., & İnce, E. (2010). Internet as a source of misconception: Radiation and Radioactivity. Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology, 9 (4), 94-100.
• Bickman, L. & Rog, D. (1998). Handbook of Applied Social Research Methods. Thousand Oaks, C.A: Safe.
• Boyers, E., & Stanisstreet, M. (1994). Children's Ideas about Radioactivity and Radiation: sources, mode of travel, uses and dangers. Research in Science & Technological Education, 12, 2.
• Colclough, N.D., Lock, R., & Soares, A. (2010). Pre-service teachers' subject knowledge of and attitudes about radioactivity and ionising radiation. International Journal of Science Education, 33, (3), 423-446.
• Glazar, S. A., Vrtacnik, M. (1992). Misconception of Chemical Concepts, Kemija v soli, Slovene. Journal of Chemical Education, (Special Issue) 5, 28-31.
• Hafele A. (2011). Exploring students thinking of atoms and radiation with the atom builder simülator. Paper present at the Proceedings the National Conference, Newyork, USA.
• Henriksen & Jorde. (2001). High school students’ understanding of Radiationand the environment: Can museums play a role? Science Education, 85 (2), 189-206.
• Itaki, C., Tomisawa, T., Ohgino, A., & Aizu, K. (2010). Study on risk communication in education of radiation protection: Risk perception in health sciences students.Paper present at, The 2nd International Symposium on Radiation Emergency Medicine at Hirosaki University, Japon.
• Kam, C. (2005). A survey on doctors' awareness and attitude of radiation dose of imaging examination in Hong Kong. Postgraduate Thesis. The University of Hong Kong, Medical Sciences, Hong
• Millar, R., Klaassen, K., & Eijkelhof, H. (1990). Teaching about radioactivity and ionising radiation: an alternative approach. Physics Education, 25.
• Millar, R., & Gill, J. S. (1996). School students’ understanding of processes Involving radioactive substances and ionizing radiation. Physics Education, 31.
• Morgul, I., Yılmaz, A., & Uludağ, N. (2004). Lise 2 kimya ders kitabında yer alan radyoaktivite konusunun incelenmesi, öğrencilerin bu konudaki bilgilerinin araştırılması ve öneriler. Hacettepe Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, 27, 206-215.
• Mork, S. M. (2008). An interactive learning environment designed to increase the possibilities for learning and communicating about radioactivity. Interactive Learning Environments, 19, (2) 163-177.
• Neumann, S., & Hopf, M. (2012). Students' conceptions about `Radiation': Results from an explorative interview study of 9th grade students. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 21, 826-834.
• Nishina, K. (1999). The importance of early-school radioactivity education in cultivating proper reflexive judgement on radiation.Paper present at Nippon Genshiryoku Kenkyujo JAERI, Conf 361-365, Japon.
• Pilakouta, M. (2011). TEI Piraeus students' knowledge on the beneficial applications of nuclear physics. Paper present at International Scientific Conference, The Conference for the contribution of Information Technology to Science, Economy, Society and Education, Piraeus-, Greece.
• Prather, E. (2005).Students' beliefs about the role of atoms in radioactive decay and half-life. Journal of Geoscience Education, 53, 345-354.
• Rego & Peralta (2006). Portuguese students' knowledge of radiation physics Physics Education, 41, 259.
• Tada, J. (1999). Understanding radiation and risk: The importance of primary and secondary education. Japan Nippon Genshiryoku Kenkyujo JAERI, Conf 399-403.
• Yıldırım, A. ve Şimşek, H. (2008). Sosyal bilimlerde nitel araştırma yöntemleri (6. Baskı). Ankara: Seçkin Yayıncılık.
• Yin, R. K. (1984). Case StudyResearch: Desing and methods.Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.