The effects of different combined methods on the conceptual understanding and the elimination of misconceptions of fourth grade students

The purpose of this study is to investigate the answer of the research question that is; Are there significant differences among the combined teaching methods conceptual change approach with refutation text embedded Online Advance Organizer Concept Teaching Material (ONACOM), presentations and worksheets (KD-CCR), conceptual change approach with refutation text, presentations and worksheets (KD-CR) and the method given in the ordinary teaching program (OP-OY) on students' conceptual understanding and misconceptions post test scores measuring fourth grade "Matter and Change" unit when pre-test scores are controlled?" The sample included 188 fourth grade students from two schools of the largest two county of Antalya province. In the study 'pre - test - post - test, experiment - control group' semi - experimental research design was used. The descriptive and inferential statistical techniques were used in the data analysis. The analysis were carried out with MS-Excel and SPSS-20 package programs. With respect to the OP-OY applied group, in KD-CCR and KD-CR group, the students' conceptual misconceptions scores significantly decreased. With respect to the KD-CR and OP-OY applied group, in KD-CCR applied group the students' conceptual understanding scores significantly increased. In KD-CCR and KD-CR applied group students eliminated the misconceptions significantly more than studnets' in OP-OY applied group. In the groups, only one of the misconceptions detected at the beginning of the applications was eliminated in the group with OP-OY, three with KD-CR, and six with the KD-CCR group. In all three groups, the misconception that is "temperature depends on the magnitude of the object" can not be eliminated. The effect of the refutation texts on the recognition and elimination of misconceptions, the positive effects of the ONACOM on knowledge processing and concept teaching may be the reasons for the reduction of conceptual misunderstandings and the enhancement of conceptual understandings in experimental groups.