The effect of using active learning approach in primary school sixth grade science course on academic achievement, attitude and retention of learning

In this study, a search is made to find out whether using the active learningapproach has any effects on the academic succes of 6th class primary school students,on their attitudes to Science lesson or on the retention of learning they have acquired.The study was implemented in a state-run primary school in Seyhan, Adana inautumn semester of 2005-2006. 66 students participated in the student study group inall, consisting 34 students in the experimental group and 32 students in the controlgroup. The study lasted 12 weeks. The groups were balanced and equalized according tothe disposition levels of the students and their pretest attitude scale grades towardsscience lesson. The lessons were performed according to the active learning approach inthe experimental group and according to lesson plans complying with the traditionalteacher-centered approach in the control group. In order to determine the retention ofthe acquired knowledge, ?science achievement test? and ?science attitude scale? areused as protest and posttest for the experimental and control groups and theachievement test used again 4 weeks after the posttest.After the arithmetical averages and standard deviations are given descriptivelywhich data obtained from the achievement test and attitude scale during the search, wasexposed to covariance analysis.As a result, although the arithmetical average of the achievement grades of theexperimental group was slightly more than the average of the control group, significantdifferences were found supporting the experimental group. Through these differences, itwas determined that the active learning approach is more effective on the success of thestudents about science lesson than the teacher-centered traditional method.While getting posttest scores, active teaching approach was applied to theexperimental group and teacher-centered traditional teaching method was applied to thecontrol group. According to these posttest grades obtained science lesson attitude scalethere were statistically significant differences supporting the experimental group.Concluding from the attitude scale posttest scores, it was observed that active teachingapproach is more effective on the attitude towards the science lesson than the teacher-centered traditional method.As experimental and the control groups analysed regarding the retention of theacquired knowledge, the retention grade of the students in the experimental group wasquite higher than the retention of learning grade of the students in the control group. Atthe end of the statistical analyses, significant difference was found depending on thepost test grades which support the experimental group.Key Words : Active learning approach, teacher centered tradational teaching, scienceteaching, academic achievement, attitudes towards to science course, achievement,retention of learning