The ımpact of drama method on fourth class students at mathematics in a primary school regarding success of students, their attitudes and learning retention

This research aims to study the effects of drama method applied in ?Fractions? unit inMathematics course given in 4th grade Primary Education School on student?s success,attitudes and learning retention.Conducted using the pretest and posttest control group experimental pattern, this studyhas been made on two randomly selected 4th grade classes within the 2005-2006 educationalyears in Tayfur Sökmen Primary Education School in Küçükçekmece District of Istanbul.A pretest has been applied on test and control groups for the purpose of determiningthe pre-experiment similarity degrees of test and control groups, students of 4-C constitutedthe test group, whereas the students of 4-A constituted the control group. The research wasconducted on a total of 75 students, with 38 test group students and 37 control group students.Data obtained from the research has been gathered with the achievement testdeveloped by the researcher. Before the application, the researcher has been prepared dramacourse plans and applied on the test group. As for the control group where the conventionalmethod has been applied, course plans have been prepared and implemented by the classteacher.As a result of this study, it has been found that there was a meaningful differencebetween test group students and control group students in term of achievement and learningretention; and that drama method positively affected the attitudes of the subject group.