The effect of problem based learning and motivational styles on students' academic success and attitudes towards biology course

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of problem-based learning method and motivational styles on students? academic success and attitudes towards biology course.Pretest ? posttest control group real experimental model has been used in this study. In 2006-2007 school year 120 students who were in 2nd grade science field at Ankara Atatürk Anadolu High School constituted the work group of the study. The reproduction unit and the growth and evolution unit were worked by problem based learning method at experimental group and by traditional teaching method at control group.The personal information questionnaire applied in normalizing, biology attitude scale, success test and the motivational styles questionnaire have been used as data collection tool in this investigation. Experimental and control groups were formed by applying personal information questionnaire for student grouping purpose. Students? motivational styles were determined by applying the motivational styles questionnaire. Data were collected by applying biology attitude scale and success test at the beginning and the end of the investigation. SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences Program, Version 13.0) was used for data analysis. Two-way ANOVA for independent samples and two-way ANOVA for mixed measures were used to make a statistical analysis of study data.The following results were obtained from this study:The problem based learning method didn?t affect students? academic success ve attitudes towards biology course. However the students had achiever motivational style, a kind of motivational styles, were more successful than the others who had social motivational style. The students? motivational styles didn?t affect their attitudes on biology course.