The effect of technology supported brain based learning on students' academic achievement, retention level and metacognitive awareness

Brain-based learning argues that the more it is appealed to the senses in learning principles the more permanent learning will be. Similarly, the effective use of technology in the classroom will make learning more permanent as it appeals to multiple senses. Miller (2004) argued that the technologies used for learning support the brain-based learning. Keleş (2007) observed a significant increase in student achievement through web supported instructional material based on brain-based learning he developed. Thus, the reasonable and strategic use of technology with different learning approaches in learning environments will facilitate and improve learning and teaching. In this context, aim of this study is to research the effects of of teaching "Force and Motion" theme in secondary school 8th grade through the lesson plans and activities prepared based on the approach of brain-based learning with technology support on students' academic success, retention level and levels of metacognitive awareness. The study has been conducted between the experimental groups and control groups and the pre-test, post-test and quasi-experimental design have been applied in the study. The study group of the research consists of 67 eighth-grade students studying at secondary school level (21 students from experimental group 1, 23 students from experimental group 2, 23 ones from control group). Independent variables of the study consist of brain-based learning with technology support, brain-based learning and the valid approach in current program and dependent ones of the study consist of academic success and levels of metacognitive awareness. The data in the research have been collected by the researchers by using the achievement test developed with expert opinion, Brain dominance device developed by Davis (1994) and adapted to Turkish by Avcı (2006), developed by Sperling, Howard, Miller and Murphy (2002) Metacognitive Awareness scale translated into Turkish by Karakelle and Saraç (2007). As a result of the analyzes, it was observed to be statistically significant difference in favor of the experimental groups between the Science and Technology class success of the students in experimental groups and the ones in control group after the experimental procedure. Besides, when analyzed the retention of Science and Technology class learning after the experimental procedure it was observed that there is a meaningful difference in favor of the experimental groups between the students in the experimental groups and control group. As regards to the the students' metacognitive awareness, when the average points which the students in experimental groups and the ones in control group got in the latest tests were compared, increase at almost the same rate in both groups was observed. In order to determine whether this increase is statistically significant or not, ANOVA was applied to average scores of the experimental and control groups. As a result of ANOVA, no statistically significant difference was observed in the students' metacognitive awareness level in experimental groups and control group measured again after the experimental procedure. Results of the study show that brain-based learning with technology support performed in the experimental group has noticeably triggered previously unused parts of the brains of students. Brain-based learning argues that students are to use both lobes of their brain. Prior to application, while the number of the individual who uses both sides of his brian dominantly was 0%, after the application this rate increased to 14.3%. Moreover, in the experimental group of 21 students, 20 students got a different result from the brain dominance device after the application and they used the different lobes of their brain.