Effects of Simulation Based Cooperative Learning on Physics Achievement, Science Process Skills, Attitudes Towards Physics and Usage of Interactive Whiteboards

Abstract

The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of simulation basedcooperative learning on students’ physics achievements, science processskills, attitudes towards physics and interactive whiteboards. In experimentalgroup (n=24), while students taught with Student Teams AchievementDivision (STAD) method with the integration of simulations in electricitysubject, in control group (n=25), traditional learning supported bysimulations. Students’ responses were analyzed by using t-test and contentanalysis. In the findings of the study high school students in simulation basedcooperative learning environments (Cohen’s d=1.86) have higher effectsize than in traditional learning environments supported with simulations,between these two methods there were no statistically significant differenceon students’ science process skills, attitude towards physics lesson and usageof interactive whiteboards. As a conclusion, simulation based cooperativelearning positively affected students’ physics achievements more thantraditional learning and both techniques made small differences on students’science process skills, attitudes towards physics and usage of interactivewhiteboards.