Effects of conceptual change text based instruction on ecology, attitudes toward biology and environment

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of the conceptual change text based instruction on ninth grade students’ understanding of ecological concepts, and attitudes toward biology and environment. Participants were 82 ninth grade students in a public high school in the Northwestern Turkey. A treatment was employed over a five-week period with quasi-experimental design. While two classes were called control group, two classes were called experimental group. Each teacher had one control group and one experimental group. Two teaching methods were used and randomly assigned to one class of each teacher. While the control group received traditional instruction, the experimental group received conceptual change texts based instruction. Ecology Concepts Test, Attitude Scale towards Biology and Attitude Scale towards Environment were administered to the participants as pre- and post-tests. Data of interview and observation were also collected to support the study results. The results showed that the effect of the conceptual change texts based instruction was better than the traditional instruction on understanding of ecological concepts. However, there was no statistically significant effect of the treatment on the participants’ attitudes toward biology and environment. Key words: Ecology, ecological concepts, misconceptions, conceptual change text based instruction, attitude, biology, environment, secondary education.

[1]  Michelle Williams,et al.  Exploring middle school students' conceptions of the relationship between genetic inheritance and cell division , 2012 .

[2]  Halimah Badioze Zaman,et al.  Virtual Biology Laboratory (VLab-Bio): Scenario-based Learning Approach , 2012 .

[3]  J. Novak.  Concept mapping: A useful tool for science education , 1990 .

[4]  Hacer Soylu.  THE EFFECT OF GENDER AND REASONING ABILITY ON THE STUDENTS' UNDERSTANDING OF ECOLOGICAL CONCEPTS AND ATTITUDE TOWARDS SCIENCE , 2006 .

[5]  W. Boone,et al.  Preservice elementary teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs and their conceptions of photosynthesis and inheritance , 2002 .

[6]  C. Ryan,et al.  Developing science concepts through story-telling , 2001 .

[7]  P. Webb,et al.  Food chain to food web: a natural progression? , 1990 .

[8]  Mary G. Rizza,et al.  Students' perceptions of classroom activities: Are there grade-level and gender differences? , 2002 .

[9]  R. Driver.  Pupils’ Alternative Frameworks in Science , 1981 .

[10]  Christine D. Tippett.  REFUTATION TEXT IN SCIENCE EDUCATION: A REVIEW OF TWO DECADES OF RESEARCH , 2010 .

[11]  Nejla Yürük,et al.  The Effect of Metaconceptual Teaching Activities on Pre-Service Biology Teachers' Conceptual Understanding about Seed Plants. , 2011 .

[12]  Students' Achievement in Human Circulatory System Unit: The Effect of Reasoning Ability and Gender , 2003 .

[13]  Pupils' understanding of air pollution , 2007 .

[14]  Jo Ellen Roseman,et al.  Can Middle-School Science textbooks help students learn important ideas? Findings from project 2061's curriculum evaluation study: Life Science , 2004 .

[15]  Atilla Çimer,et al.  What Makes Biology Learning Difficult and Effective: Students' Views. , 2012 .

[16]  K. M. O-saki,et al.  Children's conceptions of ‘living’ and ‘dead’ , 1990 .

[17]  Semra Sungur,et al.  The Contribution of Conceptual Change Texts Accompanied by Concept Mapping to Students Understanding of the Human Circulatory System , 2001 .

[18]  P. Prokop,et al.  Slovakian Students' Attitudes toward Biology , 2007 .

[19]  Ali Eryilmaz,et al.  Effects of Conceptual Assignments and Conceptual Change Discussions on Students' Misconceptions and Achievement Regarding Force and Motion , 2002 .

[20]  Teresa Arámbula Greenfield,et al.  Gender, ethnicity, science achievement, and attitudes , 1996 .

[21]  Chun-Yen Chang,et al.  The Effects on Students' Cognitive Achievement When Using the Cooperative Learning Method in Earth Science Classrooms , 1999 .

[22]  Fernando Flores,et al.  Preconceptions and relations used by children in the construction of food chains , 1994 .

[23]  Nejla Yürük,et al.  Conceptual Change Text: A Supplementary Material To Facilitate Conceptual Change in Electrochemical Cell Concepts. , 2001 .

[24]  Thomas Andre,et al.  Gender, prior knowledge, interest, and experience in electricity and conceptual change text manipulations in learning about direct current , 1997 .

[25]  Esen Uzuntiryaki,et al.  Contribution of Conceptual Change Texts and Concept Mapping to Students' Understanding of Acids and Bases. , 2002 .

[26]  Ruth Stavy,et al.  Using analogy to overcome misconceptions about conservation of matter , 1991 .

[27]  G. Norman,et al.  Development and Evaluation of the Conceptual Inventory of Natural Selection , 2002 .

[28]  Cynthia R. Hynd,et al.  The role of instructional variables in conceptual change in high school physics topics , 1994 .

[29]  U. Kattmann,et al.  Towards a better understanding of ecology , 2006 .

[30]  Reuven Lazarowitz,et al.  Learning science in a cooperative setting: Academic achievement and affective outcomes , 1994 .

[31]  SCIENCE STUDENT TEACHERS’ IDEAS OF THE HEART , 2008 .

[32]  Peter Akinsola Okebukola,et al.  Attaining Meaningful Learning of Concepts in Genetics and Ecology: An Examination of the Potency of the Concept-Mapping Technique. , 1990 .

[33]  J. Mintzes,et al.  The concept map as a research tool: Exploring conceptual change in biology , 1990 .

[34]  Patricia D. Morrell,et al.  Student's Attitudes Toward School and Classroom Science: Are They Independent Phenomena? , 1998 .

[35]  O. Jegede,et al.  The effect of concept mapping on students' anxiety and achievement in biology , 1990 .

[36]  Saouma BouJaoude.  The relationship between students' learning strategies and the change in their misunderstandings during a high school chemistry course , 1992 .

[37]  Alex H. Johnstone,et al.  Investigation of students' cognitive structure in elementary genetics through word association tests , 1999 .

[38]  K. Fisher.  A misconception in biology: Amino acids and translation , 1985 .

[39]  B. Andersson,et al.  Students' Understanding of the Greenhouse Effect, the Societal Consequences of Reducing CO2 Emissions and the Problem of Ozone Layer Depletion. , 2000 .

[40]  David Palmer,et al.  Exploring the link between students' scientific and nonscientific conceptions , 1999 .

[41]  Alan K. Griffiths,et al.  High School Students' Understanding of Food Webs: Identification of a Learning Hierarchy and Related Misconceptions. , 1985 .

[42]  A. Ersoy,et al.  İlköğretim Öğrencilerinin Çizdikleri Karikatürlere Yansittiklari Sosyal ve Çevresel Sorunlarin İncelenmesi* Analyzing Social and Environmental Issues Elementary School Students Reflect in their Cartoons , 2010 .

[43]  P. Hewson,et al.  Accommodation of a scientific conception: Toward a theory of conceptual change , 1982 .

[44]  Edmund A. Marek,et al.  A cross‐age study of student understanding of the concept of diffusion , 1991 .

[45]  Ömer Geban,et al.  Using the conceptual change instruction to improve learning , 2003 .

[46]  John K. Gilbert,et al.  Concepts, Misconceptions and Alternative Conceptions: Changing Perspectives in Science Education , 1983 .

[47]  E. Ola Adeniyi,et al.  Misconceptions of selected ecological concepts held by some Nigerian students , 1985 .

[48]  Mehmet Bahar,et al.  Misconceptions in Biology Education and Conceptual Change Strategies , 2003 .

[49]  Edmund A. Marek,et al.  Understandings and Misconceptions of Biology Concepts Held by Students Attending Small High Schools and Students Attending Large High Schools. , 1988 .

[50]  Randy L. Bell,et al.  Computer Simulations to Support Science Instruction and Learning: A critical review of the literature , 2012 .

[51]  J. Tashiro,et al.  Using Manipulatives To Teach Quantitative Concepts in Ecology. , 1997 .

[52]  JoEllen Fisherkeller,et al.  Representing students' thinking about nutrient cycling in ecosystems: bidimensional coding of a complex topic , 1996 .

[53]  Marcia Gentry,et al.  Students ’ Perceptions of Classroom Activities : Are There Grade-Level and Gender Differences ? , 2002 .

[54]  A. Cuarón,et al.  How values in education affect children's environmental knowledge , 2004 .

[55]  C. Wood-Robinson,et al.  A study of Nigerian pupils' understanding of selected biological concepts , 1980 .

[56]  Mirjamaija Mikkilä-Erdmann,et al.  Improving Conceptual Change Concerning Photosynthesis through Text Design. , 2001 .

[57]  Elvan Yalçinkaya,et al.  İLKÖĞRETİM 8. SINIF ÖĞRENCİLERİNE GÖRE ÇEVRE SORUNLARI: NİTEL BİR ÇALIŞMA , 2013 .

[58]  Musa Dikmenli,et al.  Misconceptions of cell division held by student teachers in biology: A drawing analysis , 2010 .

[59]  Gabriela C. Weaver,et al.  Strategies in K‐12 science instruction to promote conceptual change , 1998 .

[60]  Özcan Erkan Akgün,et al.  Bilimsel araştırma yöntemleri , 2017 .

[61]  Murray S. Jensen,et al.  Teaching evolution using historical arguments in a conceptual change strategy , 1995 .

[62]  Robert A. Lonning.  Effect of cooperative learning strategies on student verbal interactions and achievement during conceptual change instruction in 10th grade general science , 1993 .

[63]  Randy L. Bell,et al.  The use of a computer simulation to promote conceptual change: A quasi-experimental study , 2010, Comput. Educ..

[64]  Mansoor Niaz.  Facilitating conceptual change in students' understanding of electrochemistry , 2002 .

[65]  Earl R. Glenn,et al.  National association for research in science teaching: National association for research in science teaching , 1929 .

[66]  M. Beeth.  Teaching for Conceptual Change: Using Status as a Metacognitive Tool. , 1998 .

[67]  M. D’Esposito.  Working memory. , 2008, Handbook of clinical neurology.