The effect of the science lesson performed in science center to the students' perceptions directed to the out of school learning enviroments and their attitudes towards the lesson

The aim of the study is to investigate the effect of the applications performed in Science Center and Planetarium within the unit "Solar System and Beyond" in Science course to the students" perceptions directed to the out of school learning settings and their attitude towards the course. The study group includes 42 students. 24 of the students (14 boys and 10 girls) are the experimental group and 18 of them (10 boys and 8 girls) are the control group. A quasi-experimental pattern with preliminary test – proof positive control group was used as an experimental research model in this study. As the programme foresees, Science course was taught only in class with 18 students in control group. As distinct from the control group, a trip was arranged to Konya Science Center except from Science course with the students in experimental group and various events were performed as part of unit. For getting the quantitive datas "Sciences Attitude Scale" and "Perception Directed at Out-of-School Learning Settings Scale" were used. These scales were applied as preliminary test, proof positive and tracing test following 3 months after proof positive. In this investigation quantitive research method was used and semi-structured interview was applied as qualitative data getting for the purpose of supporting the findings acquired from quantitive datas. For that purpose, interview and recording were carried out with 8 students from experimental and control group before and after the trip. After the investigation, it was specified that the applications performed in Science Center affected the perception of the students directed at out-of-school learning settings and their attitude towards the Science course positively. A tracing test was done after 3 months in order to specify the permanence of this effect and it was extrapolated that students' attitude towards Science course was not permanent but their perception directed at out-of-school learning settings was permanent. The outcomes acquired by qualitative datas show that thanks to the trip to the Science Center, the perception of the students in experimental group directed at out-of-school learning settings changed positively as different from the students in control group.