Material usage in biology lessons at high schools in İzmir city center

In this study, ?Material Usage in Biology Lessons at High Schools in Izmir City Center? is researched and the aim is determine biology teachers? and high school 1st grade students? views about material usage in biology lessons.This research is carried out with survey type research method, which is a kind of definition method; questions are prepared in order to be asked to teachers and students.This study is carried out on 334 high school 1st grade students. 32 biology teachers sampling is formed for the survey to be performed on biology teachers. Schools and students that form the base of research are chosen by random method. Surveys are carried out in the second semester of 2006-2007 education years.Scheffe test and t-test are applied in order to understand whether there is any difference between schools and gender in student survey. Frequency and percentage distributions given are estimated. Graphics are drawn for the related items according to these data. In order to reveal teachers? view about material usage in biology lessons, frequency and percentage distributions given are estimated according to the date obtained from the scale.Research finding are as follows:1. More girl students than boys agree on the view that material usage in biology lessons objectifies the concepts.2. More girl students than boys agree on the view that biology lessons that are taught by materials add diversity to the learning process.3. More girl students than boys agree on the view that biology lessons that are taught by materials are taught more enjoyable.4. Less boy students than girls agree on the view that overhead projector acetates that are projected in biology lessons enable taking notes.5. Less boy students than girls agree on the view that biology lessons that are taught by materials are more effective.Teachers? survey results are as follows:Material usage is mostly effective in forming permanent knowledge and increasing percentage of success by increasing the efficiency in learning. Importance of the teaching materials is showed up by this result. Biology teachers think that with the material usage students are more interested in lesson and there is active participation into lesson process. It is thought that students? interest to the lesson is supported by the material usage and this increases the success. Therefore the lesson is not a classical, boring information transfer and students are gained behaviors that are relevant to the aim. Material usage enriches students? learning. Lesson is turned into a more interesting activity with different teaching methods and materials for the students which are bored with classical teachings. Thus, students? attention is kept during the lesson. Because of the preparation before laboratory lesson and the tidying those materials after the lesson, there is a need of additional time apart from the lesson period for the teachers.