The effects of virtual classroom practice and blended learning environments on geography course achievement and the attitudes towards the course and students? views

ABSTRACTTHE EFFECTS OF VIRTUAL CLASSROOM PRACTICE AND BLENDED LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS ON GEOGRAPHY COURSE ACHIEVEMENT AND THE ATTITUDES TOWARDS THE COURSE AND STUDENTS? VIEWSDİKMENLİ, YurdalDoctoral Dissertation, Geography Teaching Science FieldAdvisor: Prof. Dr. Ülkü ESER ÜNALDIMarch, 2013 xii+101 pagesIt has been anticipated that in the programmers of geography teaching course all kinds of information-communication-technologies could be used in geography teaching course. In this study the effects of virtual class practices and blended learning environments-mostly used in web-based teaching-compared to traditional learning environments on students? geography course achievement and their attitudes towards the course and their views on these practices were pointed out.This study, both qualitative and quantitative characteristic, was prepared by using experimental design. The study group is consisted of seventy-three ninth grade students whom attend to Kırşehir High School in the center of Kırşehir. In the first treatment groups, various visuals, video and animation based web pages in accordance with blended teaching approach were used to teach the research scope topics during the practice period. During the face to face teaching period course the subject was taught by the teacher and was illustrated by the visuals from the prepared web page. In the second treatment group the courses were carried out as in the first group. But, virtual classroom practices were performed in this second treatment group accordance with traditional method.The quantitative data of the research were collected by using geography course achievement test (Kr-20=0,77) and geography course attitude survey (?=0,918). But, the qualitative data were collected by using student feedback form. The one way (ANOVA) and (ANCOVA) analysis techniques were used on the collected data. The results of the research are:-Treatment and control group students? attitudes towards geography course both at the beginning and the end of the practice were satisfied. In other words, the practiced methods didn?t contribute much to the students? geography course attitudes.-Blended teaching practices and virtual class practices contributed a meaningful level to the students? Geography course academic achievement compared to traditional teaching practices.-Generally, there were no displeased points for the students in the treatment groups in blended teaching practice and virtual class practices. But, the students expressed so many technical problems such as internet connectivity speed, voice and display problems during the virtual class practices. These caused displeasure among some students.