The effect of the use of the 4MAT teaching model in Science lessons on students' academic achievement: The Force and Energy unit

The aim of this study is to examine the effect of using the 4MAT instructional model in the 7th-grade Science course unit "Force and Energy" on students' academic achievement and retention of learning. A quasi-experimental design with pretest-posttest control groups was used in the research. The sample of the study consisted of a total of 44 students studying at a secondary school affiliated with the Ministry of National Education in the central district of Van province. Before the implementation, the "Force and Energy Achievement Test" developed by the researcher was administered as a pretest to both the experimental and control groups. During the implementation phase, the experimental group received instruction based on the 4MAT instructional model, while the control group was taught using the existing Science curriculum (traditional method). After the implementation, the achievement test was administered again to both groups as a posttest. The results of the analyses revealed that the academic achievement levels of the students in the experimental group, who were taught using the 4MAT learning model, were statistically significantly higher than those of the students in the control group taught through traditional methods (p<0.05). In addition, in the retention test conducted one and a half months after the implementation, a decline in achievement levels was observed in both groups; however, this decrease was more pronounced in the control group. This finding is thought to support the hypothesis that the initial increase in achievement may be attributed to the Hawthorne effect.