Abstract:

The aim of this study is to determine the effects of materials based on the 7E learning model on students’ achievement and retention of knowledge at unit of “Electricity in Our Life” in Science and Technology course on elementary school at 6th grade(13 years). This study was carried out with 45 sixth grade students in two classrooms of a public elementary school at the second semester of 2011-2012 academic year. In the study, pretest and posttest control and comparison group quasi-experimental design is used. One of the classrooms was selected randomly as the experimental group (n=24) and the other as the control group (n=21). While the students in the experimental group were carried out with materials based on 7E learning model, teaching in control group was carried out according to teaching method and models suggested by course books developed based on Science and Technology teaching program and approved by Ministry of Education. As a tool for collecting data both before and after applications, Electricity in Our Life Test was applied on the students in the both groups. In order to test the hypotheses of the study, for dependent and independent groups t test was used. Evaluating the data gained from the pretests, it is determined that the groups coincide. As a conclusion of the statistical study, it is found out that materials based on 7E learning model support significantly students’ achievement and retention level.

Keywords:

Constructivist learning theory, electricity in our life, 7E learning model, retention.