Effects of technology-enhanced constructivist learning on science achievement of students with different cognitive styles

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of technology-enhanced constructivist learning on science achievement of seventh-grade students with different cognitive styles. Cognitive styles of the students are examined within the frame of Witkin et al. (1977) in terms of field dependent and field independent cognitive styles. The quantitative study was conducted using an experimental method with a factorial design that is a modification of the pretest-posttest control group design. The sample of the study consists of 39 seventh-grade students (19 students in the experimental group and 20 students in the control group). Strength and Energy Achievement Test and The Embedded Figures Test (EFT) were used to collect the data. The results of this study show that there is no statistically significant difference between the mean score ranks of experimental and control groups for the pretest and posttest scores of students. Furthermore, there is no significant difference between the pretest and posttest scores of the field independent students in both experimental and control groups but there are significant differences between pretest and posttest scores of the field dependent students. Suggestions were presented by the results obtained from the research.