The effect of scientific practice-based instruction on seventh graders’ perceptions of scientific practices

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of scientific practice-based instruction (SPBI) on seventh-grade students’ perceptions of scientific practices and conceptual understandings about electric circuit concepts when compared to traditionally designed science instruction (TDSI). Fifty-six seventh-grade students from two classes in a public school in Istanbul participated in this study in the spring semester of 2015-2016. One of the classes was assigned as experimental group and the other one as control group randomly. The experimental group was instructed with SPBI, whereas the control group was instructed with TDSI. Electric Circuit Concept Test (ECCT) and Perceptions of Scientific Practices Questionnaire (PSPQ) were applied to both groups as pre-tests and post-tests. Independent samples t-test was used to compare means of both groups with respect to post-tests of ECCT and PSPQ. The data analysis indicate that the students in the experimental group had higher mean scores in terms of ECCT and PSPQ than the scores of the students in the control group even if the differences between the groups were not statistically significant. The results might have a potential to contribute to science education researchers and science teachers in terms of learning and teaching scientific practices, and conceptual understanding of electric concepts in science classrooms.