ROBOTİK DESTEKLİ FEN VE TEKNOLOJİ LABORATUVAR UYGULAMALARI: ROBOLAB

Özet

Türkiye'de fen eğitiminde teknoloji kullanımı denilince ilk akla gelenler genellikle bilgisayarlar ve web teknolojileri olmuştur. Ancak, artık dünyada Fen ve Teknoloji eğitimine bakıldığında karşımıza uygulanabilir yeni bir teknolojik alan çıkmaktadır. "Robotik" denilen bu yenilik, uygulamalarında hem veri elde etmede büyük kolaylıklar sağlamakta hem de öğrencilere problem çözme, eleştirel ve yaratıcı düşünme gibi birçok beceri kazandırmaktadır. Bu araştırmada, ilköğretim 7. sınıf Fen ve Teknoloji dersi "Kuvvet ve Hareket" ünitesinde robotik destekli yapılan deneylerin öğrencilerin bilimsel süreç becerileri ile Fen ve Teknoloji dersine yönelik motivasyonlarına etkileri incelenmiştir. Araştırma, 2011-2012 eğitim öğretim yılında, Kayseri İli'nde bulunan bir ilköğretim okulunda, 7. sınıf öğrencileri (N=40) ile yürütülmüştür. Araştırmada karma (mixed) metod kullanılmıştır. Araştırmanın nicel veri toplama araçlarını "Bilimsel Süreç Becerileri Testi" ve "Fen ve Teknoloji Dersine Yönelik Motivasyon Ölçeği"; nitel veri toplama aracını ise "Öğrenci Etkinlik Günlükleri" oluşturmaktadır. Ön test-son test kontrol gruplu yarı deneysel desenin kullanıldığı araştırmada, bilimsel süreç becerileri testi ve motivasyon ölçeği, deneysel işlem öncesi ön test olarak uygulanmıştır. Deney grubunda "Kuvvet ve Hareket" ünitesi ile ilgili deneysel etkinlikler "Robotik Kulübü" kapsamında robot teknolojisi kullanılarak gerçekleştirilmiştir. Kontrol grubunda ise aynı etkinlikler müfredattaki haliyle uygulanmıştır. Etkinlikler toplam sekiz hafta boyunca devam etmiştir. Etkinlikler sonunda bilimsel süreç becerileri testi ve motivasyon ölçeği son test olarak tekrar uygulanmıştır. Elde edilen nicel veriler SPSS paket programı aracılığıyla, öğrenci etkinlik günlüklerinden elde edilen nitel veriler ise betimsel analize tabi tutularak değerlendirilmiştir. Araştırma sonucunda, robotik destekli fen deneylerinin gerçekleştirildiği deney grubu öğrencilerinin bilimsel süreç becerileri ile Fen ve Teknoloji dersine yönelik motivasyonu kontrol grubu öğrencilerine göre anlamlı düzeyde farklılık göstermiştir. Sonuç olarak robotiğin, öğrencilerin bilimsel süreç becerilerini ve Fen ve Teknoloji dersine yönelik motivasyonlarını anlamlı düzeyde etkilediği tespit edilmiştir

Abstract

Introduction In today’s world, where we couldn’t catch up with the speed of knowledge and was determined a different human power profile, the primary goal of education is not to present information to the individual, is to provide learning the ways of obtaining useful information for the individual (Hazır & Türkmen, 2008). Therefore, it is necessary to develop skills of the students so-called scientific process skills for development of scientific thought, being able to implement the scientific process and learning the ways of obtaining scientific knowledge (Bağcı-Kılıç, 2006). The basis of science education also constitutes this scientific process skills allowing individuals to conduct research and inquiry (Myers, Washburn & Dyer, 2004). However, the investigations shows that students have low levels of science process skills (Aydoğdu, 2006; Çakar, 2008), even well below the desired level (at least 50% success) (Hazır & Türkmen, 2008). Most students, who are succesful in designing experiments and determination of variable, presenting data in a table, can not be very successful in graphing, can be making comments and also have difficulties in critical thinking and establishing cause-effect relationships (Şahin-Pekmez, Can & Çoban, 2008). Thus it is seen that there is a need for alternative methods and techniques to gain enough scientific process skills to students. In teaching the scientific process skills to students, affective characteristics of students are also very important. One of this affective characteristics is motivation. Many studies have been showing that students' motivation plays an important role the development of science process skills (Pintrich & Schunk, 1996; Wolters & Rosenthal, 2000; Tuan, Chin & Shieh, 2005). Especially, in Science and Technology lessons to improve students' science process skills, the preparation of teachers motivating environment, the encouragement and guidance to students, etc.. are required. This situation is becoming more important in the laboratory. Because students form groups in the laboratory, interact based on cooperation, develop the ability to think scientifically according to environment. (Gürkan & Gökçe, 1999). However, studies indicate that are not given the necessary importance to the science lab, not used effectively and existing laboratories are insufficient in terms of technological equipment (Gürdal, 1991; Yalın, 2001; Ergin, ŞahinPekmez & Erdal, 2005). Also it is considered that used in today’s laboratories the traditional tools away from technology limit students, of technology used, prevent performing experiments with the researching and inquiring approach and create very time-consuming. Therefore, the use of technological tools are becoming more and more important in the laboratory (Ng & Yeung, 2002). However, when we examine science and technology education in the world, we are faced with a new applied technological field. Provided the integration with various disciplines “Robotic” called this technological innovation has become an indispensable part of science and technology of the educational process, especially in science and engineering education in the world (Cameron, 2005). The studies examined; it is seen that robotics more widely use especially in laboratory applications in science and technology education (Koç & Böyük, 2013). Because robotic technology prevent the loss of time by providing great convenience in observations and data collection in the laboratory applications and present the opportunity to students for performing experiments with the researching and inquiring approach according to the nature of the scientific method. In this respect, the using of robotic in today's science laboratories have gained more importance. When examined the studies on the use of robotics in education in the world, robotic is seen as a leading factor in the education and it is clear that much importance is given to the robot technology. Indeed, in this regard many graduates theses and dissertations have been prepared (Gibbon, 2007; Teixeira 2006; Baptista, 2009; Ribeiro, 2006; Cameron, 2005), projects have been developed (Costa & Fernandes, 2005; Cameron, 2005; Hacker, 2003). Also in Turkey when examined the study of robotics, it is seen that the use of robotics in education is quite a few. The use of robotics in education in Turkey is consisted mostly done in private school projects and organized the club activities and the applications of robot technology is not yet in advanced. The lack of necessary educational and technical equipment is the biggest reason for the lack of sufficiently achieved robotic applications. Furthermore the costly design of the robots bring along with some problems. However, when considered the students will gain experience in designing the robot, these robots’ uniqueness will be understood once again (Yang, Zhao, Wu & Wang, 2008). Purpose and Significance of the Study The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of experiments supported by robotic in the 7th grade Science and Technology lesson “Force and Motion” unit on students’ scientific process skills and motivation towards Science and Technology lesson. This research carries a unique value for our country to be the first. Because a study is not seen in that used science laboratory applications supported by robotic and examined its effect on scientific process skills and motivation towards the Science and Technology lesson. Therefore, it is expected that the study will provide important contributions to science and technology education. The main problem of this research is “What is the effect of experiments supported by robotic in the 7th grade Science and Technology lesson ‘Force and Motion’ unit on students’ scientific process skills and motivation towards Science and Technology lesson?”. The sub-problems of the study are as follows: 1. Before the experimental process the students’ of the control and the experimental group; - Is there a