Date

2013

Author

Gürer, Melih Derya

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This study aimed to compare 6th grade students who used learning objects and did not use learning objects in their social studies lessons in terms of their academic achievement, attitudes toward the lesson and engagement in the lesson. Further it investigated the teachers’ and students opinions about using learning objects in the instructional process. To achieve the aforementioned aims, both qualitative and quantitative methods were used to collect data throughout the spring semester of 2011-2012 academic year. The participants of this study were 137 students studying at the 6th grade in a public primary school in Bolu. An experimental study was conducted to compare students’ achievement, their attitudes toward social studies lesson, and their engagement in the social studies lesson with and without using learning objects. Using the survey method, students’ evaluations of their learning objects were examined. Students were observed in the classroom environment during the experimentation in order to reveal how they used the learning objects. Teachers and students were interviewed to elicit their opinions about using learning objects in the instructional and the learning process. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as mean and variance, and inferential statistics like paired-samples t-test, independent samples t-test, Mann Whitney U-test, Wilcoxon signed rank test for paired samples test and Spearman’s rho test. On the other hand, qualitative data were analyzed through content analysis. The quantitative findings of the study showed that experimental group students’ scores were significantly higher than those of the control group students in the social studies achievement test, attitude scale and course engagement scale. Students in the experimental group had positively evaluated the learning objects of the study. In addition, positive correlation was identified between the achievement and course engagement, and between the achievement and learning object evaluation scores. The qualitative results of the study indicated that the characteristics and design principles of learning objects influenced the course achievement, attitude and engagement of students. These emerging results and the discussion have some important implications for teachers and instructional designers. The study contributes to a well-grounded understanding of learning objects approach and provides a basis for further empirical studies on learning objects.

Subject Keywords

Social sciences, Education, secondary, Learning strategies, Achievement motivation.

URI

http://etd.lib.metu.edu.tr/upload/12615348/index.pdf
https://hdl.handle.net/11511/22265

Collections

Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Thesis