The effect of teaching through discovery approach on student success in poltical geography

The aim of this master thesis is to determine the effect of teaching through discovery approach on student success in political geography.This study was conducted on 70 Keçiören High School 12th grade students in Ankara in the first term of 2009 / 2010.In this study, an experimental design model with experiment and control groups was used. In the study, it was studied whether there was a meaningful difference between the student group who were taught through ?teaching through discovery approach ? and the group who did not have such an approach. Those students who were taught through ?teaching through discovery approach? formed ?experiment group?, and those who did not have teaching through this approach formed ?control group?.Experiment and control groups, which consisted of 35 members each, were randomly chosen. The following course subject from grade 12 geography lesson was chosen as a topic to practise: the gains regarding the political geography in ?Global Environment: Regions and Countries? learning domain.Before the experiment was conducted, the teachers who teach those classes were given a one-week seminar on the principles of ? teaching through discovery approach ? and the related program and activities. The experiment group were taught the gains regarding the political geography through the above mentioned approach in 4 weeks, 4 hours a week, whereas the control group was taught the same gains for the same duration through teacher based available methods (such as lecturing, questions and answers).Finally, in order to gather necessary data required for the statistical analysis of the sub problems of the study, a success test was administered and the success of the students from both groups was determined. A meaningful difference was found between the scores of pre-test ? post-test of experiment and control group.At the end of the study;1. Teaching through discovery approach in geography achieved meaningful and long lasting learning,2. Teaching through discovery approach in geography positively effected mentall skills such as critical, intuitive and creative thinking and induction,3. Teaching through discovery approach in geography developed the knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviours such as implication, comment, inquiry, analysis and associte,4. Teaching through discovery approach in geography promoted student success.Suggestions made by the researcher based on the problems that emerged during this study have been presented at the end of the study.Key Words: Teaching Geography, Teaching Through Discovery Approach, Political Geography