Ideas of primary school students on the fundamental concepts of science

ABSTRACT IDEAS OF PRIMARY SCHOOL STUDENTS ON THE FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS OF SCIENCE It has been studied by this research that what had been the primary school students? ideas about facts and events around themselves before taking formal science education, and how these views changed after taking the education. It also takes on how the approximations of the change in their thoughts to those statements which are scientifically accepted as true, changes with their level of class and the socio-economic environment that characterize their respective schools. The study has been conducted, during 2005-2006 academic year, at Cacabey Primary School which represents the upper socio ? economic classes, and at Hürriyet Primary School which represents the lower socio ? economic classes in Kırsehir City. The research methods selected includes both the quantitative and qualitative approaches. A diagnostic set of question is used for testing the quantitative data with respect to the concepts of animals, plants, force, light, electricity and state changes. This test has been carried out in two branches of 4 to 8th classes from both the schools (597 students in total). The answers to the questions in these tests are expressed in terms of percentages in order to disclose the general tendency they present. Upon the assessment of the diagnostic test, it is observed that a majority of the students fail to pick the right answers, and such situation has showed a similar tendency at each class and in both schools. Four students have been selected from each class, and 80 students in total are interviewed for the qualitative analyses conducted in line with the answers to the diagnostic questions. The interviews recorded via a tape recorder has been put into a written form with a one to one correspondence, and systemically analyzed by content analyze method. V Throughout the study performed in pre-formal science education period, it is seen that the students have certain judgements on the facts and events they have observed around themselves, and however, that their thoughts are not in agreement with the scientific facts generally accepted to be true. It is seen that such thoughts adopted by these children have gradually changed and developed with the science education. Prior to taking science education, the expressions of the students were including statements that the observed event is a natural fact, away from any causality concern while such expressions started to be based on various causes and tried to be justified in progressing class levels. Yet, it is observed, however that the collected answers that may be deemed scientifically true are not in the expected level. In addition, though it is seen for some questions in the diagnostic test that the students in the school from the lower socio ? economic classes have superseded those student in the school from upper socio-economic classes, this situation got changed in the interviews on behalf of the students from the upper socio ? economic classes. Here, it can be said that drawing to conclusions based on the data which is gathered via a mere diagnostic question during a study on the thoughts of the children present insufficient information and be deceptive. In the end of study it is seen that the students? capability of explaining their observations in a scientific manner is increased with their level of classes, and that such increase becomes more evident for the students in the schools from the upper socio ? economic classes.