The effect of argumentation based instruction on 5th grade students' achievement in environment unit and attitudes toward environment

This study aims to investigate the impact of the argumentation-based teaching method on 5th-grade students' academic achievement and environmental attitudes in the "Human and Environment" unit. The sample of the study consists of 55 students in the 5th grade during the 2022-2023 academic year; 27 of them constitute the experimental group, while 28 make up the control group. The research employs a quasi-experimental design, one of the quantitative research methods. For the purpose of the study, data collection tools included the 27-item Middle School 5th Grade Environmental Achievement Test developed by Çiçek Şentürk and Selvi (2021), and the 35-item 5-point Likert-type Environmental Attitude Scale developed by Özata Yücel and Özkan (2014). The data analysis was conducted using the SPSS program. According to the research findings, a significant difference was found between the post-test scores of the environmental achievement test for the experimental and control groups. Similarly, a significant difference was found between the post-test scores of the environmental attitude scale for the experimental and control groups. However, no significant difference was detected between the post-test scores of the behavioral subscale of the environmental attitude scale. On the other hand, a significant difference was identified in the subscale of willingness to feel, think, and act between the experimental and control groups. The research results indicate that the argumentation-based teaching method is effective in enhancing students' academic achievement. Additionally, this method contributes to the development of positive environmental attitudes among students. Therefore, incorporating the argumentation-based teaching method into educational programs can play an important role in improving students' academic success and environmental awareness.