The comparative effects of prediction/discussion-based learning cycle, conceptual change text, and traditional instructions on students’ genetics understanding and self-regulated learning

Date

2007

Author

Yılmaz, Diba

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The purpose of this study was to investigate the comparative effects of prediction/discussion-based learning cycle (HPD-LC), conceptual change text (CCT), and traditional instructions (TI) on 8th grade students’ understanding of genetics concepts and on their perceived motivation and perceived use of learning strategies. This study was carried out during 2006-2007 fall semester at a public elementary school in Ankara. A total of eighty-one 8th grade students from three intact classes were involved in the quantitative part of this study. Students in the first and second experimental groups instructed with HPD-LC and CCT, respectively. The students in control group received TI. In the qualitative part, pre- and post-instructional interviews held with six students were interpreted by using a multidimensional interpretive framework of conceptual change. In this study the Genetics Concept Test was administered as pre-test, post-test, and delayed post-test in order to examine the effects of instructional strategies on students’ genetics understanding and retention. The Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire was administered as pre-test and post-test to examine the effects of instructional strategies on students’ motivation and use of learning strategies. The results of mixed between-within subjects ANOVA revealed that students in both experimental groups understood the genetics concepts and retained their knowledge significantly better than students in control group. One-way MANOVA results revealed that HPD-LC students used elaboration strategies significantly more than CCT students. Interview analysis by considering ontological, epistemological, and social/affective perspectives of conceptual change indicated that some students from each group underwent conceptual change concerning the genetics concepts.

Subject Keywords

Educational science.

URI

http://etd.lib.metu.edu.tr/upload/2/12608769/index.pdf
https://hdl.handle.net/11511/16725

Collections

Graduate School of Social Sciences, Theses