Ercan Akpınar

Elementary school students’ water awareness

Environmental problems grow gradually and their effects are felt in various ways such as shortage of potable water. Among the various solutions offered to solve these problems, there is one standing which has the potential of encapsulating all the solutions in, that is “water education”. Therefore, the aim of this study is to present the results of a project conducted through a Water School Workshop Study related to students. The 30 students from 6th, 7th and 8th grade levels who were given water education for 25 lecture hours in totally 5 days by using originally developed instructional materials participated in the study. The data were gathered through qualitative and quantitative instruments before and just after the Water School. The results showed that the Water School is generally effective on the students’ conception about water, attitudes toward water usage, awareness of environment and general opinions related to the water. Moreover, the students’ answers for quantitative data collection tools were determined to be significantly permanent compared with the answers to the qualitative data collection tools even 3 months after the Water School.

İnternete Yönelik Tutum Ölçeği: Açımlayıcı ve Doğrulayıcı Faktör Analizi

Bu calismanin amaci, ogrencilerin internete karsi tutumlarini belirlemeye yonelik bir tutum olcegi gelistirmektir. Olcegin kapsam gecerliligi icin uzman goruslerine basvurulmustur. Arastirma, 1300 ortaokul ogrencisiyle gerceklestirilmistir. Olcek uygulandiktan sonra ilk hali uzerinden guvenirlik testleri uygulanmis ve 25 maddeye dusurulmustur. Ardindan yapi gecerliligine bakmak icin acimlayici faktor analizi uygulanmistir. Ilk etapta 5 faktor ortaya cikmis, maddelerin elenmesinden sonra 21 madde kalmis ve 4 faktore dusurulmustur. Ardindan faktorlerin Cronbach Alpha guvenirlik katsayisina bakilmis ve .766, .712, .628 ve .560 bulunmustur. Son faktorun guvenirligi .60’in altinda oldugu icin bu faktor olcekten cikarilmistir. Kalan 17 maddelik 3 faktorlu (internetten hoslanma, internetin yararli olduguna inanma, internet kullanimi) olcegin genel guvenirligi .838 ve toplam varyansi %44.58 olarak bulunmustur. Ardindan yapilan dogrulayici faktor analizi ile de kok ortalama kare yaklasim hatasi (RMSEA) degerinin 0.052 cikmasi internete yonelik tutum olceginin faktor yapisini dogrular niteliktedir. Gelistirilen internete yonelik tutum olcegi hem ortaokul ogrencilerinin internete yonelik tutumlarinin belirlenmesinde hem de farkli ogretim yontemlerinin ogrencilerin internete yonelik tutumlarina etkisinin arastirilmasinda kullanilabilir.

Fen Bilimleri Öğretmenleri için “Teknolojik Pedagojik Alan Bilgisi Temelli Argümantasyon Uygulamaları” Eğitiminin Değerlendirilmesi

In science education, creating learning environments supported with technology and students’ use of theory-evidence coordination when expressing their ideas is emphasized regarding the development of students’ scientific reasoning, critical thinking, decision making skills, and etc. In this process, great responsibilities are fallen to teachers as planner and designer of a learning environment. In this study, it is aimed to assess the training which aims the development of science teachers’ technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) through argumentation practices. In this context; this study evaluated the science teachers’ argumentation skills, self-efficacy perceptions towards TPACK and the teachers’ views about the training. 37 science teachers working at different cities in Turkey participated in the one group pre-test post-test experimental training study, which was lasted 54 hours during a week. The training is composed of both hand and minds on argumentation practices based on TPACK. The participants joined different activities such as collaborative group works, drama, modeling, thematic games, art activities, problem-based learning, field trips, observation and workshops. In the study, Argumentation Test, TPACK Self-Efficacy Belief Scale were used as data collection tools. At the end of the training written views of science teachers towards activities were taken. In the light of the findings, this training was effective on the participants’ self-efficacy levels towards technological pedagogical content knowledge. Moreover, this training resulted in a positive change in the participants’ views about how a statement could be accepted as an argument. However, the increase in scores of argumentation skills was not significant. Additionally almost all of the participants stated that they found the activities useful and can use in their classes. By considering these results, some suggestions were given.

Web Tabanlı Öğretimin İlköğretim Öğrencilerinin Akademik Başarılarına Etkisi

The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of web-based instruction with web-based instructional material, which covers“Matter and Heat” unit on 6th grade Science and Technology Course Workbook, on students’ academic achievement. Nonequivalent control group, which is a model of Quasi-experimental method, was used in the study. The research was conducted with 102 sixth grade students attending two different primary schools in Artvin in spring semester of the 2010-2011 school years. As data collection tools, “Matter and Heat” unit achievement test was administered in two schools as pre-tests and post-tests and open-ended questions were used after implementation. Between the experimental and the control group students’ post- test scores, significant differences were found in favor of the experimental group in which web-based instruction was used.