The effect of Dialogic-Practical Work Approach on Secondary School Students’ Physics Learning outcomes
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Date
2023-07
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of the dialogic-practical work approach on secondary school students’ physics learning outcomes. A mixed method, concurrent research design was used to collect and analyze data before, during, and after the dialogic-practical work approach sessions. In this study, 91 participants from two governmental secondary schools in Bahir Dar City, Amhara, Ethiopia were involved. The treatment group and the comparison group conducted a dialogic-practical work approach and a recipe-based practical work approach respectively in secondary school physics laboratories. Quantitative data was collected through multiple choice test items, questionnaires, and observation checklist rubrics. Video recordings of small group discussions and semi-structured interviews were used as qualitative data. To analyze the quantitative data t-tests, Pearson correlation coefficient, and multiple regression were performed. Video recordings and semi-structured interviews were transcribed, coded, and analyzed. Results indicated that the dialogic-practical work approach significantly improved secondary school students’ mechanics achievement, science process skills, attitudes toward physics, and epistemic beliefs about physics compared to the recipe-based practical work approach. Moreover, the dialogic-practical work approach improved female and male students’ physics learning outcomes irrespective of gender differences observed between them. The results also revealed that the dialogic-practical work approach significantly and progressively improved students’ scientific argumentation skills from the beginning to the final session. The results from the qualitative analysis showed that students’ dialogic talk moves focused on cumulative and exploratory talks. They showed improvements in their exploratory talks. These results revealed that the dialogic-practical work approach has a positive impact on students’ physics learning outcomes. The results, however, revealed that students had difficulties providing evidence, arguments, and counterarguments to the expected level during the dialogic-practical work approach. Students struggled with changing a claim when encountering inconsistent information. Applying dialogic-practical work approach can help secondary school students develop physics learning outcomes.
Keywords: Attitudes towards physics; Dialogic-Practical work approach; Epistemic Beliefs about Physics; Mechanics Achievement; Recipe-based practical work; Scientific argumentation skills; Science process skills.
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Keywords
Attitudes towards physics; Dialogic-Practical work approach; Epistemic Beliefs about Physics; Mechanics Achievement; Recipe-based practical work; Scientific argumentation skills; Science process skills