The main purpose of the study was to compare the effectiveness of conceptual change oriented instruction accompanied with computer animations and traditionally designed chemistry instruction on 10th grade students&rsquo / understanding, achievement and retention of gases concepts and attitudes towards chemistry as a school subject. Also students&rsquo / views about nature of science were investigated. Quasi experimental design was used in this study. 67 tenth grade students from two intact classes of a chemistry course taught by the same teacher in Sokullu High School were enrolled. The hypotheses were tested by using analyses of covariance and two- way analyses of variance. The results indicated that instruction based on conceptual change approach caused significantly better acquisition of the scientific conceptions, achievement and retention related to gases concepts than traditionally designed chemistry instruction. Science process skill was determined as a strong predictor in the concepts related to gases. Moreover instruction based on conceptual change approach improved students&rsquo / attitudes as a school subject. However no significant effect of gender difference on students&rsquo / understanding, achievement and attitudes toward chemistry as a school subject was found. Finally experimental group students&rsquo / views about some characteristics of nature of science were determined as more realistic than control group students.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of conceptual change based instruction accompanied by demonstrations (CCBIAD) and gender on 11th grade students&rsquo / understanding and achievement in rate of reaction concepts, and their attitudes toward chemistry as a school subject compared to traditionally designed chemistry instruction (TDCI). Sixty nine 11th grade students from two classes in a public high school in Ankara participated in this study in the Fall Semester of 2008-2009. These classes were randomly assigned as control and experimental groups. In the control group TDCI was used, while in the experimental group CCBIAD was used as instructional methods. Rate of Reaction Concept Test, Rate of Reaction Achievement Test, and Attitude Scale toward Chemistry were administered to both groups as pre-tests and post-tests to assess students&rsquo / understanding of rate of reaction concepts, achievement in these concepts, and attitudes toward chemistry, respectively. Science Process Skills Test was given at the beginning of the study to control students&rsquo / science process skills. After treatment six students from each group were interviewed to determine their misconceptions about rate of reaction. The hypotheses were tested by using Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) and Two-Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). The results show that CCBIAD used a significantly better acquisition of scientific conceptions related to rate of reaction than TDCI. In addition, there was a significant effect of CCBIAD on students&rsquo / attitudes toward chemistry. There was no significant effect of gender on both students&rsquo / understanding of rate of reaction concepts and their attitudes toward chemistry.

The main purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of conceptual change oriented instruction accompanied with analogies on eight grade students&rsquo / understanding of chemical bonding concepts. In addition, the effect of instruction on students&rsquo / attitude toward science as a school subject and the effect of gender difference on understanding of chemical bonding concepts were investigated. Fifty eight-grade students from two classes of a science course taught by the same teacher in B&uuml / y&uuml / kel&ccedil / i Nazim Belger Primary School in the 2010-2011 spring semesters participated in the study. The study included two groups which were selected randomly throughout three classes. One of the groups was defined as control group in which students were instructed by traditionally designed science instruction, while other group was defined as experimental group in which students were instructed by conceptual change texts oriented instruction accompanied with analogies. Chemical Bonding Concept Pre-Test was administered to both groups as a pre-test and Chemical Bonding Concept Post-Test was administered to both groups as a post-test in order to assess their understanding of concepts related to chemical bonding. Students were also given Attitude Scale Towards Science as a School Subject at the beginning and end of the study to determine their attitudes and Science Process Skill Test was used at the beginning of the study to measure their science process skills. The hypotheses were tested by using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). The results indicated that instruction based on constructivist approach caused a significantly better acquisition of scientific conceptions related to chemical bonding and produced significantly higher positive attitudes toward science as a school subject than the traditionally designed science instruction. Also, science process skill was a strong predictor in understanding the concepts related to chemical bonding. On the other hand, no significant effect of gender difference on understanding the concepts about chemical bonding and students&rsquo / attitudes toward science as a school subject was found.

Thèse numérisée par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal

Mémoire numérisé par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal

Mémoire numérisé par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal

L’innovation pédagogique pour elle-même s’avère parfois discutable, mais elle se justifie quand les enseignants se heurtent aux difficultés d’apprentissage de leurs étudiants. En particulier, certaines notions de physique sont réputées difficiles à appréhender par les étudiants, comme c’est le cas pour l’effet photoélectrique qui n’est pas souvent compris par les étudiants au niveau collégial. Cette recherche tente de déterminer si, dans le cadre d’un cours de physique, la simulation de l’effet photoélectrique et l’utilisation des dispositifs mobiles et en situation de collaboration favorisent une évolution des conceptions des étudiants au sujet de la lumière. Nous avons ainsi procédé à l’élaboration d’un scénario d’apprentissage collaboratif intégrant une simulation de l’effet photoélectrique sur un ordinateur de poche. La conception du scénario a d’abord été influencée par notre vision socioconstructiviste de l’apprentissage. Nous avons effectué deux études préliminaires afin de compléter notre scénario d’apprentissage et valider la plateforme MobileSim et l’interface du simulateur, que nous avons utilisées dans notre expérimentation : la première avec des ordinateurs de bureau et la seconde avec des ordinateurs de poche. Nous avons fait suivre à deux groupes d’étudiants deux cours différents, l’un portant sur une approche traditionnelle d’enseignement, l’autre basé sur le scénario d’apprentissage collaboratif élaboré. Nous leur avons fait passer un test évaluant l’évolution conceptuelle sur la nature de la lumière et sur le phénomène de l’effet photoélectrique et concepts connexes, à deux reprises : la première avant que les étudiants ne s’investissent dans le cours et la seconde après la réalisation des expérimentations. Nos résultats aux prétest et post-test sont complétés par des entrevues individuelles semi-dirigées avec tous les étudiants, par des enregistrements vidéo et par des traces récupérées des fichiers logs ou sur papier. Les étudiants du groupe expérimental ont obtenu de très bons résultats au post-test par rapport à ceux du groupe contrôle. Nous avons enregistré un gain moyen d’apprentissage qualifié de niveau modéré selon Hake (1998). Les résultats des entrevues ont permis de repérer quelques difficultés conceptuelles d’apprentissage chez les étudiants. L’analyse des données recueillies des enregistrements des séquences vidéo, des questionnaires et des traces récupérées nous a permis de mieux comprendre le processus d’apprentissage collaboratif et nous a dévoilé que le nombre et la durée des interactions entre les étudiants sont fortement corrélés avec le gain d’apprentissage. Ce projet de recherche est d’abord une réussite sur le plan de la conception d’un scénario d’apprentissage relatif à un phénomène aussi complexe que l’effet photoélectrique, tout en respectant de nombreux critères (collaboration, simulation, dispositifs mobiles) qui nous paraissaient extrêmement utopiques de réunir dans une situation d’apprentissage en classe. Ce scénario pourra être adapté pour l’apprentissage d’autres notions de la physique et pourra être considéré pour la conception des environnements collaboratifs d’apprentissage mobile innovants, centrés sur les besoins des apprenants et intégrant les technologies au bon moment et pour la bonne activité. / The educational innovation itself is sometimes debatable but it is justified when the teachers confront the learning difficulties of their students. In particular, some notions of physics are notoriously hard for students to understand, as is the case for the photoelectric effect which is not often comprehended by the students at the college level. This research tries to determine if, as part of a physics course, the simulation of the photoelectric effect and the use of mobile devices in collaborative situations facilitate an evolution of the student’s conceptions about the concept of light. We have proceeded to develop a scenario of collaborative learning by integrating a simulation of the photoelectric effect on handheld devices (Pocket PC). The design of scenario was first influenced by our socioconstructivist vision of learning. We conducted two preliminary studies to complete our scenario of learning and to validate the platform « MobileSim » and the interface of the simulator used in our experiment. The first studies were completed with a simulation on computers and the second with a simulation on Pocket PC. After that, we carried out the experimentation with two groups of students. The control group was assigned to the traditional approach of teaching and the experimental group was assigned to the approach based on the developed scenario of collaborative learning. We have conducted a test twice to assess a conceptual change about the nature of light and about the phenomenon of the photoelectric effect and related concepts. The first test (pre-test) before the students are involved in the course and the second (post-test) after completion of experiments. Our results in the pre-test and post-test were completed by conducting semi-structured individual interviews with all students, by video recordings and recovered traces (on log files or on paper). Students in the experimental group obtained good results in the test compared to those of the control group. We noted an average gain of learning qualified at a moderate level according to Hake (1998). Interview results were used to identify some conceptual difficulties of student learning. Analysis of collected data from video sequences, questionnaires and recovered tracks allowed us to better understand the process of collaborative learning and has revealed that the number and the time of interactions between students are strongly correlated with the gain of learning. At first, this research project is a success in the designing of a learning scenario of a phenomenon as complex as the photoelectric effect and respects many criteria (collaboration, simulation, mobile devices, etc.) that it seemed for us extremely utopian to combine them in an effective learning situation in the classroom. For instance, this scenario could be adapted to the learning of other concepts in physics. It could also be considered for the design of collaborative environments for innovative mobile learning focused on the needs of learners that integrate the technologies at the right time and for the right activity.

The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of CCTIA over TDCI for 9th grade students&rsquo / understanding of chemical bonding concepts. Also, the effect of instruction on students&rsquo / attitude toward chemistry as a school subject and the effect of gender difference on understanding of chemical bonding concepts and attitudes toward chemistry were investigated. The subjects of this study consisted of 41 ninth grade students from two classes of a chemistry course in TED Ankara High School. This study was conducted during the 2003-2004-spring semester. The classes were randomly assigned as control and experimental groups. Students in the control group were instructed by TDCI whereas students in the experimental group were instructed by CCTIA. CBCT was administered to both groups as a pre-test and post-test in order to assess their understanding of concepts related to chemical bonding. Students were also given ASTC as a school subject at the beginning and end of the study to determine their attitudes and SPST at the beginning of the study to measure their science process skills. At the end of the study, we administered interviews to the students. The hypotheses were tested by using ANCOVA and ANOVA. The results revealed that CCTIA caused a significantly better understanding of scientific conceptions related to chemical bonding concepts than the TDCI. In addition, these two modes of instruction developed the similar attitude toward science as a school subject. Also, science process skill was a strong predictor in understanding the concepts related to chemical bonding. Alternatively, no significant effect of gender difference on understanding the concepts about chemical bonding and on students&rsquo / attitudes toward chemistry as a school subject was found.

The main purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of conceptual change oriented instruction accompanied with cooperative group work and traditionally designed instruction for removing misconceptions related to acid-base concepts. In this study 33 tenth grade students from two classes from METU Development Foundation Private School in the spring semester of 2003-2004 participated. There were two groups in the study. Students in experimental group received conceptual change oriented instruction with cooperative group work, and students in control group received traditionally designed instruction over a period of six weeks. Acid-Base Concept Test was administered to both groups as pre- and post-test. Students were also received Science Process Skill Test to determine their science process skills as pre-test and Attitude Scale Toward Chemistry to measure their attitudes toward chemistry as pre- and post-test. The hypotheses were tested by t-test, ANCOVA, and ANOVA. The results showed that the students in experimental group had significantly higher scores with respect to achievement related to acid-base concepts than the students in control group. On the other hand, there was no significant difference between attitude mean scores of students in experimental and control groups. Also, science process skill was a strong predictor for the achievement related to acid-base concepts. Alternatively, there was no significant difference between girls and boys in terms of understanding of acid-base concepts and attitudes toward chemistry. Alternatively, there was no significant interaction between gender and treatment on understanding of acid-base concepts and attitudes toward chemistry.

The main purpose of the study was to compare the effectiveness of the conceptual change oriented instruction through demonstration and traditionally designed chemistry instruction on 10th grade students&rsquo / understanding of chemical reactions and energy concepts and attitudes towards chemistry as a school subject. In this study, 61 tenth grade students from two classes of chemistry course instructed by same teacher from Atat&uuml / rk Anatolian High School took part. The study was conducted during 2003-2004 fall semester. This study included two groups which were selected randomly throughout 9 classes. One of the group was defined as control group in which students were taught by traditionally designed chemistry instruction, while the other group defined as experimental group in which students were instructed by conceptual change oriented instruction through demonstrations (CCID). Chemical Reactions and Energy Concepts Test and Attitude Scale toward Chemistry were administered to both groups as a pre-test and post-test to assess the students understanding of chemical reactions and energy concepts and students&rsquo / attitudes toward chemistry, respectively. Science Process Skills Test was given at the beginning of the study to determine students&rsquo / science process skills. The hypotheses were tested by using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). The results showed that CCID caused significantly better acquisition of the scientific conceptions related to chemical reactions and energy concepts than TDCI. The results showed that there was a significant difference between post-test mean scores of students taught with CCID and those taught with TDCI with respect to their attitude toward chemistry as a school subject. A Science process skill was determined as a strong predictor in understanding the concepts related chemical reactions and energy.