The Development of Scientific Discussion-oriented Activities to Remove the Misconceptions: The Unit of 'Change of Matter'

Abstract

This study, whose purpose is to examine the effect of scientific discussion-oriented activities on eliminating misconceptions in the 'Change of Matter' unit, has been designed in accordance with the action research method. Action research is a research approach that is carried out by practitioners alone or with a researcher to understand and resolve the problems that arise in practice, combines research and practice, and facilitates the transfer of research results into practice. In this context, the test developed, two tier diagnostic test, before the application started was applied to the students as a pre-test, then activities developed based on scientific discussion were applied in a total of 18 lesson hours, and reflective diaries were kept in the students during this process. After the application process, the same test was applied as a posttest. In addition, semi-structured interviews were conducted with the students at the end of the application. In these interviews, students were asked 5 questions to determine their misconceptions and 2 questions to determine their opinions about the application process. The sample of the study consists of 26 5th grade students. At the end of the study, it was determined that the science lesson which is taught with scientific discussion activities were effective in eliminating misconceptions, understanding the lesson better and enjoying group work.