Investigating elementary students’ motivation towards science learning: a cross age study

Download

index.pdf

Date

2008

Author

Güvercin, Özge

Metadata

Show full item record

Item Usage Stats

615
views

469
downloads

This study investigated the effects of grade level and gender on elementary school students’ motivation towards science learning. This study was carried out during 2007-2008 fall semester at 12 public elementary schools in Yenimahalle districts of Ankara. A total of 2231 students (1121 boys, 1093 girls, 17 did not report their gender) participated in the study. In terms of grade level, 1164 were enrolled in 6th grade level and 1055 in 8th grade (12 did not report their grade level). Data were collected through Students’ Motivation Towards Science Learning Questionnaire (SMTSL). Two-way Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) was conducted in order to identify the effects of grade level and gender on six dimensions of motivation (i.e. self efficacy, active learning strategies, learning environment stimulation, science learning value, achievement goal and performance goal) towards science learning. Two-way MANOVA results showed that grade level and gender had a significant effect on the collective dependent variables. Follow-up univariate analysis indicated that there was a significant difference between 6th and 8th grade students’ motivation towards science learning regarding mean scores on each motivational variable. In addition, mean scores on each motivational variable, except leaning environment stimulation, were significantly different for boys and girls, in favors of girls. Result demonstrated that students’ motivation towards science learning declined as the grade level increased and girls had a higher motivation towards science learning than boys.

Subject Keywords

Education., Elementary or Public School Education.

URI

http://etd.lib.metu.edu.tr/upload/2/12609910/index.pdf
https://hdl.handle.net/11511/18097

Collections

Graduate School of Social Sciences, Thesis

Suggestions

OpenMETU
Core

Investigating students motivational traits in science Yavuz, Fatma; Öztekin, Ceren; Department of Elementary Science and Mathematics Education (2006) The aim of this study was to investigate the elementary school students’ motivational traits (achiever, curious, conscientious and social) in science. More specifically present study examined the effects of gender, grade level and location of the school on elementary school students’ motivational traits. The data in the main study was collected by Motivational Pattern Questionnaire from randomly selected 8 classes of randomly selected 15 schools in five districts of Ankara. A total of 3685 students (1927 fe...
Examining middle school students' understanding of the nature of science Çelikdemir, Meliha; Çakıroğlu, Jale; Department of Elementary Science and Mathematics Education (2006) The aim of this study is to investigate the elementary school students’ understandings of the nature of science (NOS). A total of 1949 students (1026 sixth graders and 923 eighth graders) from six different elementary schools participated in the study. “Nature of Science Questionnaire for Elementary Level (E-NOS)” questionnaire, adapted from Views on Science-Technology-Society (VOSTS) developed by Aikenhead, Fleming and Ryan (1989) and Views on Nature of Science (VNOS-D) constructed by Lederman, Adb-El-Khal...
Investigation of pre-service elementary mathematics teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs about using concrete models in teaching mathematics Pişkin, Mutlu; Çakıroğlu, Erdinç; Bulut, Safure; Department of Educational Sciences (2010) The main purpose of the study was to investigate pre-service elementary mathematics teachers’ personal efficacy beliefs and outcome expectancies about using concrete models in teaching mathematics. Data were collected from the pre-service teachers in the middle of the spring semester of 2008-2009. Pre-service teachers were junior students enrolled in elementary mathematics teaching program at a public university. Six instructional sessions based on using concrete models in teaching mathematics were carried ...
Perceptions of 4th and 5th grade primary school students and their teachers on constructivist learning environments in science and technology courses Özgür, Birikim; Kiraz, Ercan; Department of Educational Sciences (2008) The purpose of this study was to investigate the extent to which Constructivist Learning Environment (CLE) aspects exist in primary level 4th and 5th grade Science and Technology Courses in Turkey as perceived by students and their teachers. Secondly, the study aimed at finding out whether perceptions of students on CLE differ according to certain demographic variables. Finally, the study attempted to explore the extent to which the perceptions of teachers on administrative support have a relationship with ...
Assessing tenth grade students’ difficulties about kinematics graphs by a three-tier test Aydın, Özlem; Eryılmaz, Ali; Department of Secondary Science and Mathematics Education (2007) The main purpose of this study was to develop a three-tier test for assessing tenthgrade students’ difficulties about kinematics graphs. In a three-tier test, first tier is classical multiple-choice question, the second tier is also classical multiple-choice question but presents reasons for answers given to the first tier and the third tier asks existence of confidence about the first two tiers. To develop a three-tier test, Turkish translation of the Test of Understanding Graphs in Kinematics (TUG-K) deve...

Citation Formats

Ö. Güvercin, “Investigating elementary students’ motivation towards science learning: a cross age study,” M.S. - Master of Science, Middle East Technical University, 2008.