Implementation of cooperative learning assisted with the models and seven principles for good practice in education in the teaching of particulate nature of matter

The main aim of this study is to investigate the effect of Reading-Writing-Presentation (RWP), Student Teams-Achievement Division (STAD), which are among coopretaive learning methods, and RWP assisted by the models with the involvement of seven principles for good practice in education on the first year undergraduates' understanding of particulate nature of matter. Explanatory-mixed method design, in which qualitative and quantitative data collection methods were implemented, was used in the study. The sample of quantitative phase was 115 first years students studying in the Science Teacher Training Department during 2014-2015 academic year at Atatürk University and fours groups, three of which were experiment groups and the other was control group. Specifically, one group was called as Reading-Writing Presentation Seven Principles Group (RWPG), with which reading-writing-presentation among cooperative learning methods and seven principles were implemented; in the other group, named Reading-Writing-Presentation Seven Principles Model Group (RWPMG), reading-writing-presentation methods were applied with seven principles for good education and models; the third experiment group was Student Team-Achivement Division Seven Principles Group (STADG), in which student teams-achievement division among cooperative learning methods were implemented with seven principles. In the last group, Control Group (CG), the common instruction followed within official curriculum was applied. As for qualitative phase of study, the sample was 15 students that from each experiment group 5 students were selected. In the study, a rudiment test to test the prior knowledge of students, and academic achievement test to assess academic success of students at the end of implementation, modul tests used to test individual success and to monitor developments, a seven principles questionnaire to identify the changes in opinions of students regarding seven principles for good practice in education, a cooperative learning opinion scale to identify students'opinions about cooperative learning methods, and an interview form used to discover the reflections of students on the teaching method used and implementations throughout the process were used. For the analysis of quantitative data, descriptive statistics and one-way ANOVA were done. As for qualitative data, descriptive and content analyses were used. The findings of the study show that the academic success of the students in the RWPG, RWPMG, and STADG were higher than the students in CG. Furthermore, it was found that students in RWPMG were academically more successful than the students in RWPG. Besides, the mistakes in the drawings of students regarding particulate nature of matter were found to vary. Lastly, the qualitative findings show that students expressed positive opinions about the methods implemented during the process. Key Words: Cooperative learning, Seven principles for good practice in education, Model,Particulate nature of matter