The effect of infographic-based learning activities on the academic achievement, motivation and permanence of secondary school students in social studies lessons

The purpose of this research is to examine the effect of teaching the "Science in Time" unit of the 7th grade secondary school Social Studies course with infographics on students' academic success, permanence and motivation. In this study, a pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design with a control group, which is one of the quantitative research methods, was used. The sample of the research consists of a total of 24 students who continue their education in 7/A and 7/B classes at Gökçedere Imam Hatip secondary school in Demirözü district of Bayburt province in the second semester of the 2022-2023 academic year. In branch 7/A, which represents the experimental group, the "Science Over Time" unit was taught using infographics. In branch 7/B, which represents the control group, the same unit was taught using traditional methods without any intervention in the teaching process. Science Achievement Test Over Time and Social Studies Lesson Motivation Scale were used to collect data in the study. Before starting the application for both groups, Science Achievement Test over Time and Social Studies Lesson Motivation Scale were applied as pre-tests. The unit took four weeks to process, three hours per week. At the end of the unit, the achievement test and motivation scale were applied to the experimental and control groups as posttests. In order to test the permanence of infographics in academic success, the Science Achievement Test Over Time was applied as a permanence test four weeks after the last test. The data obtained was analyzed and evaluated in the SPSS 21 program. In order to test whether the hypotheses were accepted in the light of the data obtained, an independent t-test was conducted for the pre-tests and it was understood that the hypotheses put forward for the pre-tests were accepted for both the success and motivation scale. As a result of the post-test for the achievement test and the independent t-test for the permanence test, it was seen that the hypotheses determined for the post-test and permanence test were accepted. According to the results of the post-test for motivation, it was observed that the hypothesis was not accepted. As a result, it was determined that there was a significant difference in academic success in the experimental group in which infographics were used compared to the control group in the post-test and permanence test. According to the applied motivation scale, it was observed that the lesson taught with infographics did not increase the motivation of the students. Keywords: Infographic, academic achievement, science over time, motivation.