The effect of common knowledge construction model on grade 7 students conceptual understanding of water pollution subject

Individuals, who engender an increase in the environmental problems, should take an active role in solving them. In this context, it is expected that environmental education in school will enable students to create their environmental awareness and to develop good relationships with their close environments. Environmental education through collaborative group works purposes to train the students to address their own ideas and respect to other opinions, and to take their own leaning responsibilities in group works. To realize these objectives, Common Knowledge Construction Model (CKCM), requiring student active engagement, has been released as a new teaching model. This study aims to examine the effect of the CKCM lesson sequence on grade 7 students' conceptual understanding levels of `water pollution? subject. The sample of the study comprised of 25 grade 7 students in a primary school in district of Yenişehir, Bursa. Within mixed research methodology, data were collected by Word Association Test (WAT), Conceptual Understanding Test (CUT) and semi-structured interview protocol. While WAT and CUT were administered as a pre-test one week before the teaching intervention, the same tests were re-administered as a post-test after the teaching intervention. Also, the semi-structured interview protocol was conducted with 6 grade 7 students selected from different conceptual understanding levels (high, middle and low). Results indicated that the grade 7 students possessed some conceptions of causes, consequences and prevention of water pollution, but these conceptions contained uncompleted knowledge or alternative conceptions. Consequently, it can be deduced that the CKCM lesson sequence resulted in significantly better student understanding and substantially replaced their alternative conceptions of the water pollution. Further, the CKCM lesson sequence changed their used everyday language with the scientific ones. Given the results, it is suggested that the CKCM lesson sequence be implemented in different science and environmental topics to get a broader sense of its applicability. Keywords: Common Knowledge Construction Model, Conceptual Understanding, Water Pollution, Science Education