The effect of Toulmin Model of argument on the physic achievements and critical thinking tendencies of high school 9th grade students

The effect of Toulmin Argumentation Model on 9th grade students' academic achievement and critical thinking tendencies was investigated in this study. "The Energy" unit has been chosen for the study. Pre test – post test balanced half experimental design with control group has been used in the research. Before applying this, reliability analysis has been done on the achievement test which has been prepared to evaluate physics academic succes and the test which reliability (α:0.914) ensured has been applied for three classes as a pre test. Among the 3 classes that the pre test has been applied, 2 classes which are equal to each other has been chosen one as a control group, the other as an experimental group with using random method. After the control group and experimental group assigned, critical thinking tendency scale has been applied before studying with the experimental group. The sample of the study include 10 female, 10 male students in experimental group, 14 female, 9 male students in control group and 43 students in the total. The study in which pre test – post test balanced half experimental design has been used continued about 2 hours in a week, 8 weeks in total. In the experimental group, lessons has been continued with activities which prepared suitable for Toulmin argumentation method. Where as in the control group lessons has been continued with the teaching method that the existing program provided. At the end of the study, the achievement test which has been used as a pre test for the experimental and control groups hes been applied as a post test. Also, critical thinking tendency scale which has been used as a pre test to experimental gorup has been applied as a posttest and semi – structured interview forms has been applied for 10 students who are chosen randomly experimental group. The data collected at the end of the study were analyzed with Mann – Whitney U test and Wilcoxon test by SPSS26 program due to its normal distribution nature. According to the results of the achievement test analysis, no significant difference was found between the experimental and control groups (p> .05). When the critical thinking disposition scale was applied to the experimental group and examined, a significant difference was observed between the pre-test and post-test in favor of the last test (p <.05). Based on the findings of the research Toulmin argumentation model prompt students to think, they can evaluate both their own claims and other's claims. Students can think high level so this bring them analitic thinking tendency and a raise in critical thinking tendency, in order to ensure a significant difference in the achievement test among the groups, it can be said that there should not be much of the sub-subjects of the unit in which the study will be carried out, that the working process does not coincide with long-term holidays and that the continuity of the students should be ensured during the study period.