Assessment the effect of simple experiments on learning in biology education with learning logs

In this study, the effect of simple experiments used in biology education on learning is examined. In the research, the subject of cell membrane transport was covered. The simple experiments on this subject were selected from popular science publications. It is a good choice to examine reflective thinking skills to see if learning is taking place effectively. For this reason, learning diaries, which provide the opportunity to reflect the learned information, were used as a data collection and assessment tool. The study group selected by the purposeful sampling method consists on 9th grade students at an Anatolian high school in Ankara. The research is quasi-experimental, post-test method with control group was used. The course duration is three weeks for both groups. In the experimental group, simple experiments were carried out along with the explanation of the subject, and the students also participated in the application of the experiments. In the control group, the lecture was done only with the traditional teaching method. Learning diaries which is prepared by the researcher were distributed to both groups. The data were evaluated by content analysis with the MAXQDA 2020 program. Code assignments were made according to the answers of the students with the codes determined in the program. At the end of the research, it is seen that the correct answers of the experimental group, which was taught with simple experiments, were more than the control group. This result shows that the use of simple experiments in biology education has an effect on learning. Keywords: simple experiment, popular science publications, learning logs, reflective thinking, cell membrane transport, biology learning