The effects of argumentation applications in hybrid science education on the critical thinking, achievement and attitude of students

The aim of this study is to examine the effects of argumentation practices in hybrid science teaching on 7th grade students' success in science course, their attitudes towards science course, their argumentative attitudes, and their critical thinking skills. The model of this research is a quasi-experimental model with a pretest/posttest control group. In one of the study groups, the argumentation activities prepared in hybrid science teaching were applied together with the EBA contents, and in the other, the activities in the textbook in hybrid science teaching were applied together with the EBA contents. Embedded design, one of the mixed research methods, was used in the research. The quantitative part of the study was pre-test-post-test quasi-experimental research design, and the Achievement Test, Attitude towards Science Scale, Argumentative Questionnaire and UF/EMI Critical Thinking Tendency Scale prepared by the researcher were used as data collection tools in the research. The qualitative part of the research consisted of activity reports, experimental reports, semi-structured interviews, reflective evaluation forms, reflective diaries and observation results. During the implementation process, face-to-face and online argumentation applications were made. Quantitative data obtained from the applied scales were analyzed with difference statistics (t-test for independent samples) or analysis of variance, and qualitative data were analyzed with descriptive analysis and content analysis techniques. As a result of the research, the average achievement scores and average argumentative attitude scores of the group students to whom argumentation activities were applied in hybrid science education increased statistically significantly.