The analysis of effects of analogy method on students academic success and the determination of students opinions about the process: A sample of 5th grade maths class

In the study, the effects of analogy method on students? academic success in instruction of Mathematical success in the fifth grade of secondary school were examined and students? opinions about implementation of the method were determined. The study was carried out with 60 students in four weeks in Doktor Nurettin Beyhan Elbir Secondary School in Sincan (a district of Ankara) during the spring term of 2012-2013 academic year. Explanatory design, in which both quantitative and qualitative research methods are used together, was applied in the study. As the quantitative data collection tool, an achievement test with 40 questions and developed by the researcher was implemented. And for the qualitative research, students opinions in the experimental group about implementation of the analogy method in Maths classes were determined via a form with open ended questions. At the end of the study, a significant difference in favour of the instruction based on analogy method against traditional method was found out in increasing the level of students? academic success. It was also determined that the arithmetic mean of the experimental group students achievement scores was higher that the arithmetic mean of control group students? achievement scores. Most of the opinions of experimental group students indicated that students liked the implementation of analogy method. On the other hand, students explained that they did not like the method not because of the application of the method but because of the some problems in the learning environment. Most of the opinions indicated that the analogy method can be applied for other mathematical subjects while some of them indicated it cannot be applied for other mathematical subjects. Lastly, most of the students? opinions signified that the analogy method was effective in the instruction of geometrical solid.