THE OPINIONS OF TURKISH HIGHSCHOOL PUPILS ON INQUIRY BASED LABORATORY ACTIVITIES
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study is to prepare inquiry based experimental activities on the photosynthesis, thought to be a very difficult subject by pupils, and to determine the pupil’s ideas towards this method. This study was made with 24 pupils from Grade 3 at Atatürk Anatolian High school in Turkey. As data gathering material; seven inquiry experimental study sheets, the pupils’ opinions survey consisting of six open-ended question, and two-lesson-hour video records were used. According to the result of study, the pupils declared that the inquiry based laboratory activities were more permanent, more enjoyable, and more pupil centered than the traditional methods, that thanks to this method, they studied cooperatively and benefit from different aspects by discussing, that they were be satisfied with the teacher’s guide position in the implementations, and that their attitudes related to biology increased positively.