The Effect of Writing for Learning and Model-Based Learning Activities on Success and Permanence in the Fourth Grade Simple Electrical Circuits Unit

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of writing for learning and model-based learning activities on academic achievement in the "Simple Electrical Circuits" unit of the fourth-grade science course and the views of students and classroom teachers about these activities. In the quantitative part of the research, which has quantitative and qualitative designs, quasi-experimental design with a pretest-posttest control group and in the qualitative part, student and teacher opinion forms consisting of open-ended questions were used. Three experimental and one control group were selected among the fourth graders according to the simple random sampling method. The achievement test related to the "Simple Electrical Circuits" unit was applied to these groups as a pre-test, post-test and permanence test. In the study, writing for learning purposes in a randomly selected group, model-based learning in the other, and both writing for learning and model-based learning activities were carried out together in the third group. In the control group, the lessons were carried out according to the current method. ANOVA was used in the analysis of quantitative data, and content analysis was used in the analysis of qualitative data. Findings related to the post-test of the experimental groups and the control group showed a significant difference in favor of the experimental group students who performed the model-based learning activities. According to the permanence test, there was no statistically significant difference between the experimental groups and the control group, but the mean of the experimental groups was higher than the mean of the control group. According to the data obtained from the interviews with students and teachers, it can be stated that students and teachers exhibited a positive approach towards writing for learning and model-based learning activities. In addition, the experimental group students stated that they did the activities with fun, while the teachers stated that they believed in the benefits of the activities used, but it was difficult to implement them in the current system. Based on these results, new research can be carried out at the third-grade level, in different lessons or in different units of the same lesson.