Cetin TORAMAN1, Engin DEMIR2
Teacher, Ministry of National Education (MNE).
Lecturer, Karabuk University, Vocational School, Karabuk
10.14689/ejer.2016.62.8
ABSTRACT
Problem Statement: A number of recent studies on constructivism that have been conducted separately (independently) have arrived at very different results. Throughout the ten-year period in which the constructivist approach has been applied, there have been studies that have researched the effect of the newly–introduced approach on student attitudes towards lessons. In such situations, there exists a pressing need to look at all previous studies so that new studies approach subjects from a more developed and advanced perspective and arrive at more scientifically reliable results. For this reason, there is a critical need for a more comprehensive and detailed approach to the subject under research so as to interpret, contrast, and provide better access for researchers with regard to the studies already conducted on this topic. Meta–analysis has been accepted as a method that helps in this aim.
Purpose of Study: The goal of this study is to bring together and contrast independent studies conducted on the effect of the constructivist approach on student attitudes to lessons and to analyze their results.
Methods: This research study employs a meta-analysis method. Meta-analysis is defined as the grouping of apparently similar studies conducted on a particular topic according to specific criteria and combining the quantitative findings pertaining to these studies.
Findings and Results: The findings of this research demonstrate that students in the experimental group, in which studies were conducted according to the constructivist approach, displayed many more positive attitudes towards lessons than those in the control group who were taught according to more traditional learning methods. Of the moderating factors observed in the study, only the differences in lesson subjects were seen to be of significance. This conclusion was reached when studies regarding the attitudes of students were considered. On the whole, the attitudes of students towards science and technology lessons were found to be more positive than those displayed towards mathematics and other subjects in the curriculum.
Conclusions and Recommendations: With regard to the subjects in the study, positive attitudes towards science lessons were more widespread than towards math and other subjects in which the constructivist approach was employed. This result can be attributed to the fact that the nature of science and technology lessons makes them more appropriate for the use of the constructivist approach. We suggest that the research be repeated and extended in such a way as to include literature that incorporates foreign publications.
Key Words: Constructivism, Learning, Attitude, Meta–Analysis, Moderator Analysis.