INVESTIGATION OF EFFECTIVENESS OF DEMONSTRATION-SIMULATION BASED INSTRUCTION IN TEACHING ENERGY CONSERVATION AT 7 TH GRADE

This study aimed to explore the effect of teaching through demonstration-simulation on students' achievement of energy conservation in comparison with traditional teaching. The sample consisted of fifty nine 7th grade students from a state primary school in Turkey. In the study, non-equivalent groups pretest-posttest design was used and the data was collected through an achievement test developed by the researchers, Energy Conservation Test. The conservation of energy concept was taught using a demonstration and a simulation in the experimental group and traditional instruction method in the control group. Data collected by the test was statistically assessed applying the analysis of covariance. To explore obviously the class atmosphere in experimental group, it was utilized from the teacher's observation notes and student interviews. The statistical comparison showed that there was a significant difference between groups with respect to students' scores of the test. Moreover, the analysis of the qualitative data indicated that such a class atmosphere supported the constructive and meaningful learning.