Effect of constructivist approach to achievement and conceptual perception of lycee 2 students about radioactivity and nuclear reactions and determination of misconceptions of students about this subject

ABSTRACT EFFECT OF CONSTRUCTIVIST APPROACH TO ACHIEVEMENT AND CONCEPTUAL PERCEPTION OF LYCEE 2 STUDENTS ABOUT RADIOACTIVITY AND NUCLEAR REACTIONS AND DETERMINATION OF MISCONCEPTIONS OF STUDENTS ABOUT THIS SUBJECT (M. Sc. Thesis) Ayşe YALÇIN GAZI UNIVERSITY INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE EDUCATION JUNE 2003 The aim of this study is to compare achievement of the students that are taught with traditional teaching methods and the students that are taught with constructivist approach about radioactivity and nuclear reactions and to investigate their conceptual understandings. The other aim of this study is determination of misconceptions of lycee 2 students about radioactivity and nuclear reactions after teaching and investigation reasons for these misconceptions The subject of this study consisted of total 62 students from two classes of Ankara-Çankaya Lyceum in spring semester 2002-2003 educational year. Research design is quasi-experimental pretest-posttest control group design. One of two randomly chosen science group was accepted as control group and the other as experimental group. The subject was taught with traditional teaching methods in control group and with constructivist approach in the other class in first and second weeks of March.IV Radioactivity and Nuclear Reactions Pre Knowledge Test, Radioactivity and Nuclear Reactions Concept Test, Radioactivity and Nuclear Reactions Achievement Test, notes used during teaching and slayt show used in experience group were prepared by way of search throug relevent literature, Secondary Scholl Science Textbook-8 and Lyceum-2 Chemistry Textbook. Logical Thinking Ability Test, Scientific Process Skill Test, Radioactivity and Nuclear Reactions Pre Knowledge Test was given as pre test, Radioactivity and Nuclear Reactions Achievement Tets was given as post-test and Radioactivity and Nuclear Reactions Concept Test was given as pre and post test to control and experience gorups. After teaching subject, interviews, which took about 20-25 minutes for each, were made with total 8 students from chosen control and experience group by using Radioactivity and Nuclear Reactions Concept Test marks about radioactivity and nuclear reactions. The data obtained from this study were assessed by using computer with SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Science) program at a significant level of 0,05 by using ANCOVA (Analysis of Covariance) analysis and t- test. The result of statistical analysis indicated that constructivist approach meaningfully contributed on sutudents' achievements but there was no difference between the effect of traditional teaching method and constructivist approach on concept perception. Also, it showed that Lyseum-2 students have many misconceptions about radioactivity and nuclear reactions.