Impact Of Science Lessons Carried Out In Out-Of-School Environments On Students’ Attitudes

Year 2017, Volume: 4 Issue: 1, 108 - 114, 01.06.2016

Büşra Bakşoğlu Orhan Karamustafaoğlu

Abstract

This research aims to study impacts of the
teaching method - supported in out-of-school environments – of the unit of
“Let’s Solve Puzzle of Our Body” on students’ attitude towards science. The
mentioned unit takes part in teaching curriculum of Fifth Grade Science Lesson
of Secondary Schools.  When the
literature is studied, there is no research about this unit regarding to the
impacts of science lessons supported with out-of-school environments on
students’ attitude. Therefore, this research is thought to contribute into the
literature in this respect. In the research, the pre-test - post-test equalized
control group model, which is one of quasi-experimental methods, has been
used.  The experimental group of the
study includes 15 students, whereas there are 16 students in control group. The
groups were determined through random sample. Before and after the research,
the “Primary School Fifth Grade Science and Technology Attitude Scale”
developed by Yaşar and Anagün (2008) has been used on both experimental and
control groups. The students in the experimental group studied the unit with
current program as well as activities in out-of-school environments. In control
group, the students just studied the lessons at the current program, without
having additional activities. A t-test was performed for pre-test independent
samples, whereas the post-test was carried out through covariance analysis. At
the end of the research, there was not a significant difference between
pre-test (t29= .646, p<.05) and post-test (F(1-28)= .05 p<.05) scores. It
is thought that the reasons such as the pre-test scores being high and the
application being limited to just a unit had impact on failing to find a
significant difference on the attitude scores. It is also thought that carrying
out research on different grades from now on and out-of-school environment
activities including more units might impact on students’ attitude toward
science.

Keywords

Out of school environments, attitude, secondary school, fifth grade

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