Abstract:

This study aimed to investigate the effect of mind map and concept cartoon activities in science and technology education upon students’ academic achievement and perception of inquiry learning skills. For this purpose, non-equivalent pretest posttest control group design was employed. The study was conducted by selecting two groups, each one a class from two elementary schools. The study group consists of a total of 34 individuals, 17 in the experiment group and 17 in the control group. Before the treatment, no significant difference was found between the groups’ mean ranks of academic achievement scores and perceptions of inquiry learning skills and thus, the groups were taken as equal in terms of relatively dependent variables. The results of the academic achievement test administered after the experimental treatment showed a significant difference between the groups’ mean ranks, while the difference between their perceptions of inquiry learning skills was not at a significant level but it showed highly increase in fovour of experiment group. On the basis of the interpretation of the study results, it is believed that activities based on using mind maps and concept cartoons in science and technology classes will help improving students’ academic achievement and perceptions of inquiry learning skills.

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