The effect of use of reinforcement in geography on students academic achievement (in 9th grades)

Xll SUMMARY This study was conducted to test the effects of use of reinforcement and the traditional teaching methods on teaching geography. In the study, the attitudes of geography teachers towards use of reinforcement while teaching geography was also tested. In the study, an achievement test was used as a means of data gathering. The test was employed as a "pre-test" and "re-test" to be answered by the subjects. During the geography lesson and a whole unit, reinforcement was given to the experiment group, whereas a scale of attitude to measure the attitudes, towards use of reinforcement, using the traditional teaching methods for the control group. In the study, the test of achievement in geography was given to 90 students of classes geography was given to 90 students of classes 9/N and 9/0 at Yenimahalle Alparslan High School (Ankara) during the second half of the term 2001-2002. The experiment group and the control group were chosen randomly. Moreover, the questionnaire developed for the study was given to the students at level 9 and geography teachers from ten high schools in the centre of Ankara during the second half of the term 2001-2002. In the light of the data obtained by the study, the results are as the following. 1. Academic Achievement. It was observed that an experimental treatment led to significant difference between the understanding levels of the experiment group and that of the control group. The average of total scores of the group for which the variable of reinforcement was used was seen as significantly greater than the one of the group where the traditional teaching methods were applied. In geography teaching, use of reinforcement is much more fruitful than the method of traditional teaching in terms of students achievement.Xlll 2. The Attitudes of Geography Teachers Towards Use of Reinforcement. Nearly all the teachers included in the study (96,3 %) are found to be using reinforcement and seeing it important (92,6 %).. Most of the teachers are found to be using reinforcement abiding by the principals suggested for its use. 3. Importance of Teaching Service Quality. Most of the teachers use some clues in teaching and inform their students about their grades (they also apply feed back and correction). Some of the teachers reward the student's achievement during the lesson, speak highly of an active student and such students are given excellent grades.. Some of the students included in the study are able to involved in the lesson in an active manner.