The Effects the Using of Concept Cartoons in Science Education on Students’ Academic Achievements and Enquiry Learning Skill Perceptions

Abstract

In our country, the necessity of science education has been realized to be able to keep in
step with the advances in science and technology. Therefore, the content and philosophy of Science
Education Programme have rearranged. Science and Technology Education Programme in Turkey has
been organized in the basis of constructivist approach. The techniques and methods aimed at providing
the active participation of students to the learning process have been taken part in the new programme.
According to constructivist approach, students are supposed to be active in the construction process of
their knowledge and therefore the use of visual tools which provide students to participate in learning
process and to help them learn in a more concrete way to learn meaningful by creating a discussion
environment is of great importance. One of the so-called tools is concept cartoons. In this study, the
effect of concept cartoons which is used in science education on students’ academic achievement and
enquiry learning skill perceptions were tried to be determined. According to data obtained from this
study, there is no difference between the experiment group and the control group with respect to the
students’ academic achievement, however there is a meaningful difference in favour of the experiment
group with respect to the students’ enquiry learning skill perceptions. As a result of this study, it has
been determined that concept cartoons have affected students’ enquiry learning skill perceptions by
helping students to enquire new knowledge with their existing experiences