The effect of inquiry based learning with innovative science experiments on student's conceptual understanding level, epistemological beliefs and attitudes towards science course

In the scope of this study, it is aimed to investigate the effect of inquiry based learning with innovative science experiments on students' conceptual understanding levels, epistemological beliefs and attitudes towards science course. For this purpose, the experimental research design, which was embedded in a mixed pattern, was applied to the students studying at a secondary school in the city center of İzmir in the 7th grade science course, in the force and energy unit, for a total of 8 weeks. Qualitative data collection tools are embedded into the quantitative experimental method. For this reason, the study was formed according to the nested mixed pattern. As experimental design, quasi-experimental design with pretest-posttest control group was used. The applications were carried out by an experiment (with innovative science experiments) and a control group (only the science course curriculum). The conceptual understanding test, the epistemological belief scale, and the attitude scale for the science course constitute the quantitative data tools of the research. The data collected from the control and experimental group through the voice recorder during the application process and the data collected only by the semi-structured interview form from the experimental group are qualitative data collection tools of the research. During the preparation phase of the study, a workshop was held with teachers working in İzmir province to determine the criteria of innovative science experiments. In the study, significant differences were found in favor of the experimental group in terms of open-ended questions in conceptual understanding test. While there was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of epistemological beliefs and attitudes towards science quantitatively, there was a significant improvement in the experimental group students for the epistemological belief qualitatively. Keywords: Inquiry based learning, innovative science experiments, conceptual understanding, epistemological belief, attitude towards science course.