In this study, the contributions of learning motivation, reasoning ability, learning
orientation and gender to International Baccalaureate and National Program
students&rsquo / mitosis and meiosis achievement was investigated.
Participants of the study were 472 ninth grade students from a private high school
in Ankara. Two hundred nineteen students (46%) were in International
Baccalaureate Program and two hundred fifty three (54%) were in National
Program. The study was conducted during the 2006-2007 Spring semester. Prior
to the introduction of mitosis and meiosis topics, students&rsquo / motivations toward
biology learning (self efficacy, active learning strategies, science learning value, performance goals, achievement goals, learning environment stimulation), formal
reasoning abilities and learning approaches were measured by Students&rsquo / Motivation Towards Biology Learning Questionnaire, Test of Logical Thinking
Ability scale and Learning Approach Questionnaire respectively. After the topics
have been covered, a 20 item Mitosis and Meiosis Achievement Test was used to
measure achievement in mitosis and meiosis topics.
Multiple regression analysis revealed that achievement was explained in positive
direction by formal reasoning ability and in negative direction by active learning
strategies and rote learning in National Program classes. Self-efficacy and formal
reasoning ability had significant contributions to achievement for International
Baccalaureate students. The main predictor of achievement was formal reasoning
ability for both International Baccalaureate and National Program students,
explaining 4.7% and 10.9% variance respectively. Moreover, while 2.9% of the
variance in achievement was explained by self efficacy in International
Baccalaureate classes, rote learning explained 2.2% of the variance in
achievement in negative direction in National Program classes.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:METU/oai:etd.lib.metu.edu.tr:http://etd.lib.metu.edu.tr/upload/12608544/index.pdf |
| Date | 01 July 2007 |
| Creators | Baser, Meltem |
| Contributors | Tekkaya, Ceren |
| Publisher | METU |
| Source Sets | Middle East Technical Univ. |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | M.S. Thesis |
| Format | text/pdf |
| Rights | To liberate the content for public access |
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