The effectiveness of the experimental guidebook on the science process skills of students with mild mental disabilities

Abstract

Introduction: The main problem of this study was to "How does Science Experimental Guidebook enriched by active learning techniques and Prediction-Observation-Explanation (POE) worksheets related to the "Physical Events" learning area change the scientific process skills of inclusion/integration students with mild mental disabilities?" The aim of this research is to prepare the Science Experimental Guidebook enriched by active learning techniques and POE worksheets, and examine its effect on science process skills of students with mild mental disabilities.Method: Through case study research method, 12 fifth grade students with mild mental disabilities participated in the current study. The first phase of the POE worksheets included buzz 22 technique, while the second phase contained experiments and applications of QR codes. Also, the third phase incorporated snowball technique and electively one of learning gallery and card display techniques.Findings: After the treatment, it was determined that majority of the students with mild mental disabilities improved their science process skills in interpreting data, experimenting, observing, using space/time relations, communicating, inferring, measuring and controlling variables and they could not improve in some skills.Discussion: It has been concluded that it is effective for students with mild mental disabilities to develop their scientific process skills, to ensure one-to-one participation of students and to embody abstract concepts. An opportunity to reinforce the experiments that QR code applications have done over and over again.