Problem based learning method's effect on teaching science education courses for secondary school 5. grade students' academic achievements and attitudes towards science education classes: Light and sound

This study aims to determine the efficiency of problem based learning method in science education; and to realize if the problem based learning method affects the academic success and the students' attitudes towards science courses considering the secondary school 5. grade Science Education Class course "Light and Sound" unit before and after learning this course. The research population is Yozgat city center secondary school 5. grade students and the sample is Cumhuriyet Secondary School 5. Grade B-D-E-H classes' students. Experimental and control group students are 68 with 34 each group and they are chosen by random assignment. This research uses Quasi Experimental Design Method. The courses are actualized differently; the Problem Based Learning with experimental group (N=34) and Control Group (N=34) with traditional method science courses. The application was realized within 2014-2015 academic year- second term and 6 weeks - 4 hours per week. The data collection tools are Academic Achievement Test, Science Education Attitude Scale, and Problem Based Learning. Academic Achievement Test and Science Education Attitude Scale are applied twice at the beginning and the ending on experimental and control group. The data's descriptive statistics are accounted. One-Sample Kolmogorov-Smirnov Test for the whole data's test of normality; Paired Sample t-Test for comparing the date within itself; Independent t-Test for comparing the test with each other are used. The data's analyses are done through SPSS-13 statistics programme. The data outcome from the study shows that The Problem Based Learning Method for "Light and Sound" unit ensures that the students' academic achievement rises compared with the traditional method and the students' attitude towards science education is affected positively. Key Words: Science Education, Problem Based Learning Method, Traditional Method, Light and Sound, Attitude Scale Towards Science Education.