Özet:

  The major purpose of this study was to determine the effects of learning cycle as an instructional strategy on biology and chemistry students achievement. To guide this study, six research hypotheses were stated and tested at 0.05 level of significance. The design of this study was 2x2x3x6 Pre-test Post-test non-equivalent control group quasi experimental design. These included two instructional groups (experimental and control groups), sex (male and female), repeated testing (Pre, Post and follow-up tests), and six weeks of experience. The samples of the study included six senior secondary schools, 112 science students, and 12 biology and chemistry teachers. The instruments used for this study were: teacher’s questionnaire on knowledge and use of learning cycle (KULC); and Biology and Chemistry Achievement Test (BCAT). The data collected were analyzed with simple percentage, Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) and student t-test statistics. The major findings of the study included that only 30.43% and 26.31% of biology and chemistry teachers have the knowledge that learning cycle is an instructional method; all the biology and chemistry teachers sampled have never used learning cycle as an instructional method; learning cycle had a significant effect on students achievement in biology and chemistry; students taught with learning cycle significantly achieved better in biology/chemistry Post-test than those taught with lecture method; the posttest scores of students in the learning cycle group increased over the period of experience; non-significant difference in Posttest scores between males and females taught with learning cycle; non-significant interaction effect between method and sex on achievement; and a significant higher retention of biology and chemistry knowledge by students taught with learning cycle than those taught with lecture method. It was concluded that the method seems an appropriate instructional model that could be used to solve the problems of science teaching and learning since it facilitates learning, retention and its effectiveness not being limited by sex.

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