The effect of common knowledge construction model on conceptual understanding, academic achievement and persistence in the unit of "Cell and division"

The aim of this study, which deals with the Common Knowledge Construction Model, is to examine the effects of the Common Knowledge Construction Model on the conceptual understanding, academic achievement and permanence of the learned information in the "Cell and Divisions" unit of seventh grade students. The research was carried out in a secondary school in Talas district of Kayseri province in the 2021-2022 academic year. The study group of the research consists of 74 seventh grade students studying in two different branches. In the application phase of the research; In the teaching of the "Cell and Divisions" unit, methods prepared in accordance with the Common Knowledge Construction Model were used for the experimental group, and methods prepared in accordance with the current curriculum of the Ministry of National Education were used for the control group. The research is an experimental study and a quasi-experimental design with pretest-posttest control group was used. The data of the research were collected by academic achievement test and conceptual understanding test. Academic achievement test and conceptual understanding test were applied to the study groups as both pretest and posttest. In addition, the academic achievement test was applied to the study groups again as a retention test 4 weeks after the application. In the analysis of the research findings, the IBM SPSS 24.0 package program and the independent group t-test statistical technique were used. In the light of the findings obtained from the sub-problems of the research; It has been concluded that teaching with the Common Knowledge Construction Model has a greater effect on increasing conceptual understanding and academic success for the unit of "Cell and Divisions" in seventh grade students, and on ensuring the permanence of the learned information, compared to teaching with the classical method.