THE EFFECTS OF HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES INCORPORATING A COOPERATIVE LEARNING APPROACH ON EIGHT GRADE STUDENTS’ SCIENCE PROCESS SKILLS AND ATTITUDES TOWARD SCIENCE

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of hands-on activities incorporating a cooperative learning approach on eighth grade students' science process skills and attitudes toward science. The sample of this study consisted of 55 students, from two different eighth grade classrooms in an elementary school, which were instructed by the same science teacher. The classrooms were assigned randomly as the control group and the experimental group. In the experimental group, hands-on activities were employed along with cooperative learning approach; whereas in the control group, the same activities were employed using teacher demonstration approach. In order to assess the treatment effects on eighth grade students, Science Process Skills Test (SPST) and Attitude Scale toward Science (ASTS) were administered as pre- and post- tests to the control and experimental groups. Pre-tests were used as covariates. The results of MANCOVA showed that students in the experimental group had better performance on Post-SPST scores and Post-ASTS.