The Effect Of The New Science And Technology Curriculum On Elementary Students’ Development Of Scientific Attitudes
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Abstract
The chief aims of science and technology are to enable students to know their environment, be good observers, and learn scientific methods and how to use them. Beside learning experiences at cognitive level, affective learning experiences predetermines the future studies of the students and have an impact on their profession selection. Students with an interest in science and doing scientific research are observed to be more successful in lessons that involve scientific content. With the new science and technology curriculum, a number of attainments in the affective domain were addressed for the first time and therefore attitude and value attainments were covered in the program. For the continuity of the effective implementation of the curriculum, these attainments in the affective domain and the extent to which they are implemented should be investigated. This paper reports the use of a scientific attitude inventory to reveal the affective learning and development of 6th, 7th and 8th graders and the pre and posttest results of the inventory. The study was conducted with 556 students studying in central elementary schools of Kırıkkale province. Relational survey model was used in the study and the scientific attitude levels of students being taught with science and technology curriculum were compared using pre- and posttests. As a result of this study, the students were found to have a high level of scientific attitude at the beginning and retained their attitudes at the end of the term. Additionally, several recommendations were made based on the results of the study.
Keywords
Abstract
The chief aims of science and technology are to enable students to know their environment, be good observers, and learn scientific methods and how to use them. Beside learning experiences at cognitive level, affective learning experiences predetermines the future studies of the students and have an impact on their profession selection. Students with an interest in science and doing scientific research are observed to be more successful in lessons that involve scientific content. With the new science and technology curriculum, a number of attainments in the affective domain were addressed for the first time and therefore attitude and value attainments were covered in the program. For the continuity of the effective implementation of the curriculum, these attainments in the affective domain and the extent to which they are implemented should be investigated. This paper reports the use of a scientific attitude inventory to reveal the affective learning and development of 6th, 7th and 8th graders and the pre and posttest results of the inventory. The study was conducted with 556 students studying in central elementary schools of Kırıkkale province. Relational survey model was used in the study and the scientific attitude levels of students being taught with science and technology curriculum were compared using pre- and posttests. As a result of this study, the students were found to have a high level of scientific attitude at the beginning and retained their attitudes at the end of the term. Additionally, several recommendations were made based on the results of the study.