Effects of the using multi modal representations within writing to learn activities on 5 th grade students' learning, scientific process scills, criticall thinking, natural & applied science attitude

Abstract: The purpose of the thıs study is to explore the effects of multi modal representations within writing to learn activities on students' academic science achievement, scientific process skills, critical thinking, natural and applied science attitude. The research has both qualitative and quantitative components. The study was implemented with students who attend to two different 5th grade classes taught by same teacher from primary school in Kastamonu and study took place in 2013-2014 academic year. The groups were randomly selected as a control group and the other class was selected as the treatment group. The students in both groups students were instructed by using traditional didactic approach. Before the beginning of the study each group students were recognized multi modal representations by researcher. Academic science achievement tests used at the beginning of the units for pretest and used at the end of the units for posttest. At the end of each units, students were made writing to learn activities for the purposes set out in the rubric. Other data collection tools without academic science achievement tests and writing to learn actives were scientific process skills test, critical thinking test, natural and applied science study those used pre tests at beginning of the study and used post tests at end of the study. The Cronbach's alpha reliabilities of U1 academic science achievement test was found .86 but .84 of U2 academic science achievement test. Results from the analysis showed that there was no significant mean difference among groups on the pre test measures for the both units. Analysis of the U2 academic science achievement posttest, scientific process skills posttest and critical thinking post test showed that treatment group students who used multi modal representations within writing to learn activities scored significantly higher than control group students. But there is no difference found between control group students and treatment group students at analysis of natural and applied science attitude posttest.