Developing and Implementing an Instructional Technology Aided Conceptual Change Approach in Teaching Ecology Concepts at Ninth Grade
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of using conceptual change texts accompanied with small group work on ninth grade students’ learning of ecology. The developed texts were constructed to remediation of students’ misconceptions with accommodated new ones about ecology. Conceptual change texts were implemented in an instructional technology enriched setting supported with demonstration tools and visual aids. Activities were conducted in small groups working with worksheets, demonstration, posters and slide projector during the instruction. While the experimental groups took instructional technology aided conceptual change approach within groups, the control groups were taught with traditional method over a four weeks period. An Ecology Concepts Test was constructed to identify students’ misconceptions and to indicate how successful the course had been in improving students’ learning about ecology. All students were administered Ecology Concepts Test as pre-test and post-test. The experimental and the control groups were observed using non-participant approach as much as possible. According to pre-test analysis results, there was no significant mean difference between experimental and control groups. After treatment, the results of post-test indicated that experimental groups caused a significantly better acquisition of scientific conceptions related to ecology concepts than the traditional instruction.