The effect of argumentation based science learning method on secondary school students 'self-efficiency, learning and science attitudes

The aim of this study is to analyse the effects of argumentation-based science learning method on the self-sufficiency, learning and attitude to science education of the 6th grade secondary school students. In this research, explanatory sequential design, one of the mixed research methods, was used. The study sample is composed of 6 th grade students enrolled in a Ministry of Education accredited secondary school situated in a city centre in the east of Turkey, selected by the purposive sampling method. In the research, General Self-Sufficiency Scale, Attitude towards Learning Scale and Science and Technology Attitude Scale are used as pre-test and post- test to collect quantitative data, while qualitative data is collected through semi-structured interviews. Mann Whitney U Test and Kendall's Tau are used in the analysis of quantitative data, while descriptive analysis are used in the analyzing qualitative data. As a result, examining the obtained data, it's determined that argumentation-based science learning method increased students' self sufficiency, and association with daily life and interest to science education, which are sub-dimensions of attitude through science education. Furthermore, it's emerged that this method has no effect in students' attitudes towards learning, whereas it decreases anxiety level but increases learning-related expectations of students. It's identified that there's a positive relationship between self sufficiency and both learning's nature and learning-related expectations of the students in the classroom in which this method was applied. It's emerged that there's a negative relationship between those students' science education love and both learning-related expectations and being open to learning status.