Developing learning stations related to the interactions between chemical substances and examining their effects on academic achievements of 9th graders

This study's purpose is to develop the learning stations used for the unit "interactions between chemical species" of 9th grade chemistry, to carry them out and to examine their effects on persistency of the students' learning and the level of their academic success. In accordance with this purpose, two 9th grade classes were chosen randomly, one as an experimental group and the other one as a control group, at Balçova Anatolian High School, in the central district of İzmir , in the second term of 2014- 2015 Educational Year. In the study, which "pre-test post-test design with control group" was used in, for nine weeks, experimental group was taught the subject (n=30) with the techniques of learning stations, whereas the control group (n=34) was taught the subject with the conventional techniques of chemistry curriculum of secondary education. Two data gathering tools, which are semi-structured interview and interactions between chemical species achievement test ( IBCSAT), were used in the study. IBCSAT was carried out on each group simultaneously as a pre- test, post-test and retention test. Whereas semi-structured interview was only applied to 18 students who were chosen according to the academic results of post-test in a stratified way (high-middle-low level) Data collected from IBCSAT were analyzed using 15th packet programme of SPSS. According to the results of Mann Whitney-U analysis, the applied pre-test statistic results showed no meaningful difference between the groups (p>0.05 ) ,while the applied post- test and retention test statistic results displayed a difference in favour of experimental group (p <0,05). On the other hand, the data from semi-structured interview were analyzed qualitatively. According to results of the analysis the percentage of the fully-perceiving and partly- perceiving in the experimental group is higher than that of the control group. Furthermore alternative concepts are observed in a bigger rate in the experimental group. In the light of findings it is possible to conclude that using the learning stations is efficient both on the academic achievement level of learners and on the conceptual perceiving of learners with the persistency of their learning. Key Words: Academic Achievement, Chemistry Education, Conceptual Perceiving, Learning Station, Interactions Between Chemical Species