The effect of use of concept cartoons on students' achievement in 5th grade the mystery of the earth's crust unit

The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of using concept cartoons in the mystery of the earth's crust unit on 5th grade students' achievement. The aims of the science course, which cannot be met by the existing methods, have been tried to be met with the concept caricature supported teaching process. Concept caricatures are visual aids which provide that students have different opinions about an event. Concept cartoon is an innovative technique which provides that students are active in course. It has been thought that the concept caricatures can improve students' academic achievement. In practice, a semi-experimental study was conducted with 81 students who were in the 5th grade in the 2015-2016 academic year. A total of 4 branches and 5th grade students who were included in the study were randomly assigned to be 2 branch control groups and 2 other branch groups. Before the application, an 18-item achievement test which has been validated and reliable as a result of pilot study, was applied as a pre-test. A total of 8 cartoons which were determined in accordance with expert opinion, and which cover the gains of The Mystery of The Earth's Crust totally, were drawn. In application phase, the control group students took a course in accordance with current curriculum, and experimental group students took a course supported by the concept caricatures. As a result of the application, the developed success test was applied again as a posttest. The obtained data were analyzed by statistical program. As a result of analyzes, any significant difference was found when the increase between pre-test scores and post-test scores of the control group and the increase between pre-test scores and post-test scores of the experimental group were compared. The results of the research showed that the concept cartoons in the mystery of the earth's crust unit did not affect the academic achievement of the 5th grade students.