The effect of inquiry-based learning approaches in 7th grade social studies course in primary school on attitude towards course, academic achivement and the degrees of retention

This study has been conducted to examine the influence of inquiry-based learning approach on students? attitudes towards course, academic achievement and the degrees of retention in 7th grade Social Studies course in Primary School. In the study, two different tools were used to test hypotesis of the study. These are, to identify the development of students? attitudes towards course and academic achievement, ?Attitude Scale Toward Social Studies? and ? Academic Achievement Test? that is related with the unit ?The Conquest of İstanbul and Afterwards?. These are developed by researchers. In addition, the quantitative datas that were collected by these instruments were supported by the qualitative datas that acquired by the interviews with students.The research is an experimental study and the design comprised of pre-test posttest controlling group was used. The study was conducted on 7th grade students of Lalahan and Yaşar Doğu Primary Schools located in the city of Ankara, district of Elmadağ during the spring period within 2006-2007. The 7/B class in Lalahan Primary School was determined as the experimental group and the other class was as control group. Totally 60 students were participated in the investigation. The number of students included in the treatment group (N=30) and in the control group (N=30) was the equal.In the study, to identfy the influence of inquiry-based learning approach on students? attitudes towards course, academic achievement and the degrees of retention in 7th grade Social Studies course, the quantitative datas that were collected by these instruments and the qualitative datas that acquired by the interviews with students were used.The results of this study showed that using the inquiry-based learning approach in Social Studies Course affected the students? attitudes towards course, academic achievement and the degrees of retention positively according to traditional learning approaches.