Okul Dışı Öğrenme Ortamlarında Gerçekleştirilen Fen Öğretiminin Akademik Başarı ve Bilimsel Epistemolojik İnançlara Etkisinin İncelenmesi: Güneş Sistemi ve Ötesi Ünitesi Örneği

Abstract

The aim of this study was determined to examine the effects of out- of-school learning environment supported teaching on the academic success and scientific epistemological beliefs of 7th grade students in the 'Solar System and Beyond' unit in a middle school science course. The research was conducted using the pre-test-post-test control group model used within the scope of quasi-experimental models. The participants of the research were 70 7th grade students studying in a state secondary school in Pamukkale District of Denizli Province in the 2023-2024 academic year. The students in the control group were taught in accordance with the Science Course Curriculum. In addition to this, activities carried out in out-of-school environments such as planetarium, observatory, and outdoor sky observation were applied to the students in the experimental group. The data obtained during the research were collected through the 'Solar System and Beyond Unit Achievement Test' and the 'Scientific Epistemological Beliefs Scale'. In the analysis of the sub-problems included in the research, t-test was applied for independent groups. At the end of the study, it was concluded that there was a statistically significant difference of 0.05 in favor of the experimental group between the scientific epistemological beliefs and academic achievements of the students in the experimental group where the application was made and the students in the control group where the application was not made, from the groups that had no differences at the beginning. This difference asserts that the activities carried out in out-of-school learning environments in the experimental group were more effective than in the control group.