DETERMINATION OF CONCEPTUAL KNOWLEDGE LEVELS OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS ON THE SUBJECT OF ‘CELL’ THROUGH WORD ASSOCIATION TEST AND DRAWING

This study was conducted to determine the cognitive knowledge and misconceptions of 6th, 7th and 8th grade secondary school students about ‘Cell’ subject by using word association test and drawing technique. Survey model, one of the qualitative research methods, was used in the study. The sample of the study consisted of 43 students studying in the 6th, 7th and 8th grades of a state secondary school in Seydişehir district of Konya province. Word Association Test (VAT) was used in the study. In addition, a cell drawing item was added to the word association test for students with poor verbal expression skills. Descriptive analysis was used to analyse the data, and frequency tables were included according to the number of repetitions of the expressions in the student responses. As a result of the study, it was observed that the information about the concept of ‘Cell’ was formed more accurately and realistically in the students‘ minds due to the increase in the number of acquisitions in the spiral programme and the development of students’ cognitive structures as they progressed from the 6th to the 8th grade. It is seen that students associate the concept from close to far while constructing the concept in their minds. It was determined that incomplete or incorrect learning or misconceptions in students were caused by not making the necessary explanations while using analogies and starting to learn new concepts without correcting the existing wrong information. In the teaching of science course concepts, it is recommended to complete the incomplete learning from primary school or lower levels and to explain the similarities and differences between the concept to be taught and the analogy and analogy used in detail by showing sufficient sensitivity when using analogies or similes in the lessons.