THE DETERMINATION OF MENTAL MODELS OF 4TH GRADE STUDENTS ON SCIENTIFIC SUBJECTS

Mental models towards concept acquisition is dealt with mental models that students have about science, how they build the knowledge, and to observe and assess how much and in what ways they learn the knowledge to be required to be given. The aim of the study is to find out the mental models that students have about respiratory system, simple electric circuit, and the formation of the seasons and to search how the teachers teach these subjects which are seen problematic subjects on scientific conceptualization in the literature. For this purpose, the qualitative research method has been used. A state primary school has been chosen by using simple random sampling method in Turkey in 2016-2017 school years. The working group of this research consists of the fourth grade students, totally 127 students, and five primary school teachers working in this school. As research instruments, firstly a structured question form in which they will draw and express their concepts on these subjects was used. Secondly, a semi-structured interview form of 9 questions based upon how the teachers teach the subjects in the lesson was conducted. As a result, data collected from students have been categorized as scientific, synthesis and primitive models. 63,8% of the students have scientific model, 19,7% have synthesis, and 16,5% have primitive model about the respiratory system. About the simple electric circuit, 66,9% of the students have scientific model, 22,8% have synthesis, and 10,2% have primitive model. 41,7% of the students have scientific model, 25,2% have synthesis, and 33,1% have primitive model about the formation of the seasons. Furthermore, teachers have told that they have used question answer technique and traditional teaching method while teaching these subjects. They have also said that they have made use of the questions in the course book during evaluation process. It can be said that these approaches of the teachers in the lessons may be effective in the mental model formation of the students. Finally, it is recommended that the methods like analogy should be used more. Besides this, drawings and modeling on scientific topics should be included to exercises in the course books and during assessment and evaluation process in order that students develop accurate mental models