The impact on academic success of 3D computer models in science teaching: Solar system and beyond

The purpose of this research is to search whether it has an affect on 7th grade students' academic success or not when Science class, the Solar System and its Beyond unit is given with 3D computer models method. This research was conducted on 60 students in the classes of 7/A and 7/B in Karataş Secondary School in Serik, Antalya in the second term of 2015-2016 education year. It was detected randomly which class was the experimental group and which class was the control group. The research period lasted 3 weeks. Half-experimental pattern was used in the research. In the half-experimental structure, first test/last test was conducted according to the controlled-group pattern while the class was given with the 3D computer models method in the experimental group, the control group was applied constructivist education approach acoording to the goals detected by the Ministry of Education. In the research period evaluation, the goal test related with the unit of the Solar System and its Beyond, prepared by the research and evaluation center of the ministry of Education. These goal tests consist of multiple choice questions. SPSS 21 (statistical package for social sciences) programme was used for the analysis of the marks which were obtained from the academic achievement tests (first-test,last-test), the independent groups t-test was used. According to the statistical results which were obtained in the study using 3D computer supported teaching methods, it was observed that there was a remarkable difference between the experimental group and the control group in their learning. This result shows that 3D computer models affect positively the achievements of the students. Keywords: 3D Computer Modeling, Academic Achievement, And Beyond The Solar System, Modeling, Model-Based Training