Computer assisted instruction in constructing of abstract concepts in science teaching: The unit electricity in our life

As it is known, primary science courses include abstract concepts andphenomena and at that age students generally have difficulties in understandingand learning these concepts. Although experiments are important parts of thescience teaching they may be totally far from providing students with fullunderstanding of these concepts. Therefore, to concretize abstract concepts andphenomena in teaching science will help student learn meaningfully and easily.The aim of this study is to prepare instructional software which is suitableteaching strategies based on constructivist theory in order to make primary schoolstudents grasp and concretize the static electricity subject in the unit ?electric inour life? which includes abstract concepts and phenomena and also to examine theeffects of computer assisted teaching on student?s achievement.In the present study, the experts? suggestions and science teachers?opinions were taken into consideration while preparing instructional software.Nearly most of the teachers find the software acceptable. The effectiveness of thesoftware was examined in two primary schools. 123 participants of the 6th classtook part in the study (in school A 65 students, 33 of which are experimental and32 are control ) in school B there are 58 students (30 experimental, 28 control). Inexperimental group computer assisted instruction were taught whereas controlgroup were taught in a traditional way. Treatment took nearly one month.In experimental group mostly two students used one computer. In eachschool achievement test, open-ended questions, attitude scale towards science andcomputer were used as pre and post tests. Besides, before and after treatment alearning preference questionnaire was used to identify whether students? learningpreferences changed or not in school A and also 12 students (6 control, 6experimental) from school A were interviewed. To determine students? permanentknowledge, five weeks after post tests, students in both groups were againadministered achievement test and open-ended questions in two schools.Additionally, all students were asked to write their opinions about the giveninstruction and also four students were interviewed about treatment. The findingsindicate that there is a significant difference between the groups in achievementtest and open-ended questions given as a post test in favor of experimental groupsand there is no significant difference between groups in pre-test. The means ofattitude towards science and computer showed no significant difference betweenthe groups. But when the means of experimental group were compared with thoseof control group it was observed that the means of experimental group arerelatively higher than those of the control group. Students? answers in experimentgroup indicate that students construct their knowledge in a more meaningful waythan the control group?. When permanency test were compared it was recordedthat the significant difference was still continuing in favor of experimental groups.Furthermore, students? opinions indicate that students find computer assistedinstruction interestingly. Additionally, learning preference questionnaire indicatesthat there has been change in some of students? learning preference. The findingsobtained in this study revealed that the interactive software which includesteaching abstract concepts and phenomena is very effective on students?achievement.In the light of the findings of this study, some suggestions were given inthe following;New educational software including abstract concepts and phenomena inscience course should be prepared by the experts, its effects on teaching should beinvestigated and the duration of such studies should be lengthened. The softwaredeveloped in this study should be used together with other teaching methods andtechniques such as concept mapping, analogy, game, web-based instruction.Moreover, a web site related to the software can be formed and its effectiveness(web based teaching) can be investigated.Key words: Interactive computer assisted instruction, static electricity,science teaching, abstract concept, science experiments