An Investigation of the Effect of Students' Academic Achievement and Science Process Skills Application Together With Cooperative Learning Model and the Modeling Based Teaching Method in Teaching Science Courses

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of the applying the cooperative learning model and the modeling based teaching method together in teaching the subjects “Matter and Heat” and “The Particle Structure and Properties of Matter” on students’ academic achievement and science process skills. A quasi-experimental design with a pretest-posttest comparative group was used. In the sixth grade, the learning together (LT) method was applied with control group, the learning together and modeling-based teaching methods (LT-MBT) together was applied with the study group. In the seventh grade, the group investigation (GI) method was applied with the control group, and group investigation and modeling based teaching methods (GI-MBT) together was applied with study group. 72 sixth-grade students and 64 seventh-grade students of a public secondary school took part in the research. Data was collected for prior knowledge tests, module tests, academic achievement tests, science process skills, the cooperative learning view scale, and the method views form. According to the results obtained, students applying the GI-MBT method in seventh grade learned better and showed greater improvement in their science process skills than students in other group. Students applying LT-MBT methods in sixth grade were better than students applying the LT method in the module tests. According to the results obtained, it can be said that the modeling based teaching method made positive contributions to the cooperative learning model. It should be applied together with MBT with different methods of cooperative learning model in science education.