Examining of the effectiveness of conceptual change approach on students? achievement at elementary school fifth-grade science and technology course themes

The aim of this research was to investigate the effects of conceptual change texts and concept maps on learning the concepts in contents of both two themes which include ?Let?s visit and learn creatures of the world? and ?Light and sound? and attitude, motivation of students toward science. The subjects of the research were chosen from fifth-grade students studying at two classrooms in an elementary school was located in Kırşehir city center, entitled Zernişan Vakkas Yaşar. One of the classrooms was the experimental group (25 students) and another one was control group (25 students).In the research, achievements tests, science and technology attitude inventory, science and technology motivation inventory, and Kolb learning styles inventory were used in two themes to collect the data from students. The data was analyzed by using SPSS packages program. Firstly, the effects of instruction on students? concept achievements, attitudes, and motivation in the experimental and control groups were assessed. Secondly, how the relations among achievement, attitude, and motivation changed in accordance with learning styles were investigated. The research findings were summarized as follows;1.At the end of the treatment process, there was significant difference between the experimental and control group students posttest achievement scores in favor of experimental group (t(48)concept1= 2.933*, p < 0.05; t(48)concept2= 3.437*, p< 0.05). This finding showed that conceptual change instruction was more effective on teaching concept than program based instruction (basal program).2.At the end of the treatment process, there was no any significant difference between the experimental and control group students posttest motivation and attitude scores in favor of experimental group (t(48)attitude= 1.105, p > 0.05; t(48)motivation= 1.835 p>0.05). This finding showed that conceptual change instruction had no any significant effect students? attitudes and motivation.3.While conceptual change instruction method had not any significant effect on the students having accomodator, diverger, and converger learning styles in concept learning according to science achievement and motivation scores, it increased motivation of the students having assimilator learning style.As overall result of the research, conceptual change instruction method increased the students? concept achievements.