The effect of transformative learning model-based teaching on students' success and thinking skills in 7th grade science course

This research, which examines the effects of transformative learning model-based teaching practices on secondary school 7th grade students' achievement, critical thinking, reflective thinking skills, self-regulation skills and scientific epistemological beliefs, was carried out by adopting the mixed research method in which quantitative and qualitative research methods are employed together. Experimental design with pretest-posttest control group was used for collecting quantitative data. Students who shared information on digital platforms such as Zoom rooms and Google meet after the lesson in order to assess the effectiveness of online learning and where teaching activities based on the transformative learning model were applied were named Experiment I, students with whom teaching activities based on the transformative learning model was applied was determined as Experiment II and the students to whom activities based on the current Science curriculum were applied were determined as the control group. It was concluded that both methods applied in the experimental groups increased students' academic achievement, critical thinking and problem-based reflective thinking skills, self-regulation perception and scientific epistemological beliefs; However, it was observed that these variables gave higher results in the experimental groups in which the transformative learning model was applied, compared to the control group in which this model was not applied. In the study, it was observed that the activities, learning diaries, posters and worksheets that the students in the experimental group did with online education applications in the Science course created a transformation on the learning products of the students. The students in the experimental group stated that their teachers and families contributed to this transformation, their learning and communication skills improved, and the course process created a positive feeling for them. In the study, it was concluded that the learning activities prepared based on the Transformative Learning Model had a positive effect on the learning products of the students in the experimental groups in the Science course and created a significant difference on the academic achievement, critical thinking, reflective thinking and self-regulation skills of the students. There was a significant difference in some dimensions in terms of the scientific epistemological beliefs of the students in the experimental groups and the perspective transformations in the Science course. Accordingly, it can be said that science teaching, in which the transformative learning model is applied, is effective on secondary school students.