The effects of the materials develeoped for the fourth grade science and technology course to the students? skills of creative thinking, self-concept and academic achievement

This study aimed to investigate the effects of the materials develeoped for the fourth grade Science and Technology course to the students? skills of creative thinking, self-concept and academic achievement. The study included 76 students; 38 students in the control group and 38 students in the experimental group in Alişuuri Primary School in Balıkesir in 2006-2007. A nonequal control group model of semi-experimental models was used. The experimental and control groups have similar qualities.Treatment duration consisted of the Unites ?World, Let?s go and investigate the living organisms and Electrics in our lives? between 19 March and 15 June. While Science and Technology textbook and the activities in the workbook used in the control group, beside the Science and Technology textbook and the activities in the workbook, extra materialas such as worksheets, slide shows, educational games and etc. developed by the researcher used in the experimental group.Data were collected by Torrance Creative Thinking Test, Piers-Harris Self-concep Instrument and Academic Achievment Tests developed by the researcher. Data were analysed in the SPSS 16.0. Mean and standart deviation, independent samples t-test and two way co-variance analyses were performed for the qualitative data.The following results obtained from the study:According to the academic pre and post test results of experiment and control groups, although there was no sugnificent difference in meaning between experiment and control groups before treatment; the differencee seen after treatment was in favor of the experimental group.When we analyze the results in terms of sub-dimentions of the creative thinking skills, there was no statistically significant mean difference between the control and the experimental groups for the fluency, flexibility and originality before the treatment. However, there was a statistically significant mean difference between the control and the experimental groups after the treatment, in terms of flexibility, in favor of the exerimental group. There was no statistically significant mean difference between the control and the experimental groups after the treatment, in terms of fluency and originality.When we analyze the results in terms of self-concept there was no statistically significant difference in meaning among the last test points of control and experimental groupsGender did not affect the results of the students? creative thinking tests, self-concept insturment and academic achievement tests.In conclusion, the materials developed for the Science and Technology course made a positive effect on the students? academic achievement. It also made a positive effect in the dimension of flexibility of creativity. In the light of the findings of the study, it was believed that the materials developed could conrtibute to Science and technology course.Key Words: Academic Achievement, Science and Technology Education, Sef-concept, Creative Thinking Skills.