The effect of science-mathematics integration on students? academic achievement and retention of knowledge on the contents of `forces and movement? from sixth grade science course

In this study, a search is made to find out whether using the science-mathematic integration approach has any effects on the academic succes of 6th class primary school student and on the retention of learning they have acquired.The study was implemented in state-run primary school in İskenderun, Hatay in autumn semester of 2009?2010. 61 students participated in the student study group in all, consisting 30 students in the experimental group and 31 student in the control group. The study lasted 5 weeks. Equivalence between groups was provided by several variables.The lessons in experimental group were performed together with lesson plans of science-based mathematics-supported integration programme and another programme prepared in 2004 and of which bases stands upon constructivist approach while in control group lessons were performed just with lesson plans done according to the programme of which bases stands upon constructivist approach and prepared in 2004. In experimental and control groups `Science Achievement Test?was used as pre-test, and the achievement test was applied again four weeks after post-test to identify the retention of learned knowledge.After the arithmetic mean and standart deviation values obtained during the research were given descriptively, analyses of covarience were done.As a consequence, although, in terms of post-test grades in Science Achivement test, achivement of post-test grades? arithmetic mean of experimental group in which science -based mathematics -supported integration program used was slightly higher than achievement of post-test grades of control group in which the programme of which bases stands upon constructivist approach and prepared in 2004 was used, significant difference wasn?t in favour of experimental group.As experimental and the control groups analysed regarding the retention of the acquired knowledge, the retention grade of the students in the experimental group was quite higher than the retention of learning grade of the studens in the control group.At the end of the statistical analyses , significant difference was found depending on the post test grades which support the experimental group.Keywords: Science-based mathematics-supported integration, Science education ,academic achievement,retention