The effect of the drama method in the instruction of "The systems in our body" unit in the 6th grade primary school science and technology course on students' achievements, attitudes and motivations

In parallel with the changes that have occurred in the education ? instruction system, a new approach has been adopted, which requires students to form new information by using their preliminary knowledge and where they are active throughout the process, instead of a learning process in which students are passive and take the listener position. In this approach, students are expected to become individuals who investigate and question, who can suggest solutions being aware of the problems, who possess the skill of creative/critical thinking and who have a high level of self-confidence. Moreover, according to this approach, teachers are the individuals who encourage students to learn and who are in the position of a guide more than the person teaching the subject. In this respect, some new adjustments have been made in the science and technology curriculum in line with the changes that have occurred in the learning process and teacher and student roles. Since the 2005 ? 2006 academic year, a new science and technology program has been gradually implemented. The program is based on an understanding where teachers are the guides and students are active throughout learning process. Along with the constructivist approach, where students form new knowledge by using their preliminary knowledge and are involved in social interactions, new methods, techniques and strategies have begun to gain importance. One of the methods that has gained significance along with the constructivist approach is the drama method. Drama is the enacting and acting out of an event, situation or concept in daily life by using techniques such as improvisation, mimes, acting out or play and associating them with people?s own experiences and lives based on their creativity and originality. In this respect, drama encourages like-minded thinking in students, and enhances cooperation, creativity, self-confidence and problem solving skills. It can also affect students? attitudes towards the lesson and their motivation in a positive way. Therefore, it is thought that having the drama method in the curriculum can be beneficial for developing both the students? cognitive and sensory and motor skills. This study aims at determining the effect of using the drama method in the unit ?systems in our body? in primary school science and technology course on students? achievement, attitude and motivation levels.In the study, a semi-experimental pattern was conducted using pre-test, post-test control groups. The study was done in the 2009 ? 2010 academic year with the 6th graders studying at a primary school in Demirci district in the city of Manisa. The research includes 36 students in total, 18 of which are in the experimental group and the other 18 are in the control group. The experimental practice was conducted for 22 course hours in the science and technology course ?systems in our body? unit. The courses are taught in the experiment group in accordance with the science and technology curriculum supported by the drama method while in the control group they are taught only based on the science and technology curriculum. The data gathering instruments in the study are ?achievement test?, ?science education attitude scale? and ?motivation scale toward learning science?. These data gathering instruments were applied in both groups before and after the experimental practice as pre-test and post-test. Moreover, following the experimental practice, semi-structured interviews regarding the drama method were conducted with the students in the experiment group. Quantitative data obtained from the study were analyzed by using SPSS 17 program.As a result of the experimental practice, it is understood that there is no significant difference between the achievement scores of the students in the experiment and control groups with regards to unit (p>.05). On the other hand, there is a significant difference between the ?science education attitude scale? of the students in both groups (U=69.000, p<.05) and their scores from the ?motivation scale toward learning science? (U=78.500, p<.05). In addition, based on the findings obtained as a result of the semi-structured interviews, students stated that they enjoyed doing drama, that the drama method improved their attitude/interest in science courses and that the courses were better/more fun thanks to drama. When the findings of the study are interpreted, it is concluded that using the drama method in science and technology courses has a positive effect on students? achievement, attitude and motivation levels. Based on these conclusions, it is suggested that drama method be used more often in the science and technology curriculum and courses.