Implementing Creative Drama and Game Based Activities to Attain Permanent Learning of the Subject Nomenclature of Compounds

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1 Implementing Creative Drama and Game Based Activities to Attain Permanent Learning of the Subject Nomenclature of Compounds Çiğdem Nilüfer Umar, Asuman Okka Terakki Foundation Schools Şişli Terakki Private High School (Turkey) Abstract The main goal of this study is to make students attain permanent comprehension of the subject nomenclature of compounds found in 9 grade chemistry curriculum with the implementation of creative drama, game based activities and constructivist learning approach. The study was carried out in the first semester of academic year with 26 students who are attending a private high school. Experimental method was used in the study. 13 of the students were designated as experimental group, whereas the remaining 13 students were designated as control group. The study sessions with the experimental group were carried out as two 60 minutes sessions. In the first session, creative drama was implemented. This session included the main components of creative drama (warm up, animations, evaluation) where students have learned the names and charges of the ions by playing games. In the second session, rules for naming compounds were taught by the teacher and reinforced with game based activities. The study with the control group was carried out in classrooms where conventional teaching methods were employed. Same test containing open ended questions aiming to test weather target knowledge was achieved or not has been applied to both groups before and after the study. The test consisted of questions about naming ions, compounds and writing chemical formulae of compounds. The same test has been applied to both groups two weeks after the end of the study to test the permanence of the acquired knowledge. The result of the study showed no difference in the academic success of the students. However the study designates that creative drama is an effective teaching method for students motivation and collaboration. Also, teachers involved in the study, have observed that continuation of the implementation of creative drama in learning patterns will help permanence of the acquired knowledge. 1. Introduction 1.1 Problem As the information age has reflections on every system in the world, the changes in educational system can be considered as inevitable. According to the contemporary educational view, teachers should have knowledge and experience not only about their specialized field but also about the current developments in the world [1]. If this is the case, diverse teaching and learning processes such as; cooperative learning, problem solving, activities for improving creativity have been gaining importance. Drama can be seen as a teaching method to make students cognitively physically active in teaching and learning process in today s classrooms [2]. The latest chemistry curriculum, which is in effect since 2007, emphasizes that students will not only acquire basic chemistry knowledge but will be able to use their knowledge and skills in real life experiences as well. Taking students motivation into consideration, starting with concrete, real life experiences, achieving meaningful learning and encouraging students to use their chemistry 1

2 knowledge in related areas are the main criteria of the program [3]. It is obvious that, these criteria can be satisfied by using creative drama and game based activities. By creative drama based instruction it can be claimed that students are not assumed as passive learners, in contrast they are aware of their cognitive learning styles and they are required to construct the knowledge. Therefore, drama in education can be named as a constructivist teaching method. Upon observing that students are having problems learning the names and charges of the ions, the researcher implemented creative drama and game based activities to solve this problem. It is postulated that handling the problem like learning a new language and continuous repetition would be an effective approach. The problem sentence of the study is set as Does implementing creative drama and game based activities have a positive effect on students attaining permanent learning of the subject Nomenclature of Compounds? 1.2 Aim of the study The main aim of this study is to epitomize the implementation of creative drama and game based activities in teaching the nomenclature of compounds topic to 9th grade students to attain persistent and joyful learning. 1.3 Importance of the study Numerous studies have been come across about implementation of creative drama in primary school level science education during the consultation of domestic literature, whereas only one study was found in high school chemistry level [4]. The study was about the usage of creative drama as a teaching method and its effects on the cognitive learning levels of the students when teaching Properties of Chemicals and The History of the Periodic Table subjects found in 9th grade chemistry curriculum. Nevertheless, a study about the effect of creative drama on the permanence of learning was also investigated [5]. The aforementioned study was about the positive effect of usage of drama on problem solving skills of students in mathematics in comparison to conventional teaching methods. Taking into consideration Taking into consideration the fact that there are limited amount of study on the implementation of creative drama in teaching chemistry, this study may be a noteworthy sample for teachers and creative drama leaders. 1.4 Assumptions The experimental and the control groups are affected equally by undesired variables. The assessment tools employed in the study are valid and reliable. Statistical methods employed in analyzing data are acceptable. 1.5 Limitations The study is limited to Compounds unit found in the first semester chemistry curriculum in academic year. The study is limited to 9th grade students. 2

3 2. Method 2.1 Study Group The study was carried out with 26 students who are attending Private Şişli Terakki High School in Istanbul. 13 of the students were designated as experimental group, whereas the remaining 13 students were designated as control group. The experimental group was composed of voluntary students who were willing to attend creative drama and game based activities. The number of students in the experimental group is limited because only the voluntary students were accepted to this group. On the other hand, the control group was composed according to their academic success in the first chemistry exam. The model containing Control group-pretest-final test-retest were employed in the study. 2.2 Instruments Each activity was assessed individually during the study, where necessary feedback was shared with the students. The model containing pretest and final test with a control group was employed to determine the effectiveness of the methods being used. Also, students approaches was monitored by activity evaluation forms where students expressed their opinions freely. Finally, content analysis was carried out by student interviews at the end of the study. 2.3 Process The study sessions with the experimental group were carried out as two 60 minutes sessions after school. In the first session, creative drama was implemented where students have learned the names and charges of the ions. Drama based lesson plans consist of 3 phases. These phases are; warm up, animation and evaluation [6]. In accordance with the literature, the lesson was initiated with warm up activities which were aiming to raise excitement and create a challenging atmosphere by employing games where students have learned basic concepts as well. In the animation phase, cooperative group work, communicating in a group and reinforcement of the knowledge acquired in the worm up phase, were the main targets. The students were asked to share their experiences at the end of the lesson. The second session was developed by implementing game based activities in which the rules for naming compounds were embedded. These activities included animating the formation of compounds by the elements in nature and discovering the rules for forming and naming compounds by imitating the need for a common language to establish communication among people. The evaluation phase of the study consisted of a challenging game based on forming and naming compounds. The study with the control group was carried out in the classroom by using conventional teaching methods in accordance with the yearly academic plan. A test consisting of open ended questions about naming anions, cations, compounds and writing chemical formulae of compounds was applied to both control and experimental groups prior to the study. Two weeks after the end of the study to test the permanence of the acquired knowledge, same test was applied to both groups. 3. Results and Discussion Each activity was assessed individually during the study, where necessary feedback was shared with the students. The model containing pretest and final test with a control group was employed to determine the effectiveness of the methods being used. Also, students approaches was monitored by 3

4 activity evaluation forms where students expressed their opinions freely. Finally, content analysis was carried out by student interviews at the end of the study. The results of the pretests and the final tests showed no significant difference between the experimental and the control groups. Also, the permanence test results of the experimental and control groups showed no significant difference (Table-1). However, according to students evaluations, students participation, motivation and joy are in favor of the experimental group. Furthermore, the result of the activity evaluation forms showed that the students in the experimental group have enjoyed the lessons and their approaches towards learning and motivations to participate the lessons have increased. Finally, the student interviews are also supporting the results of the evaluation forms. The result of the study designates that implementing creative drama in learning patterns is an effective teaching method for student motivation and collaboration together with reducing anxiety towards the content of the subject and fostering positive attitude. Also, teachers involved in the study, have observed that continuation of the implementation of creative drama in learning patterns will help permanence of the acquired knowledge. Group Statistics GROUP N Mean Std. Deviation Std. Error Mean FINALTEST-2 GRADES EXPERIMENTAL 11 34,00 11,198 3,376 CONTROL 24 30,33 11,563 2,360 Independent Samples Test Levene's Test for Equality of Variances t-test for Equality of Means F Sig. t df Sig. (2tailed) Mean Std. Error 95% Confidence Interval of the Lower Upper FINAL Equal TEST-2 variances GRADES assumed,660,422,879 33,386 3,667 4,170-4,818 12,152 Equal variances not assumed,890 20,078,384 3,667 4,120-4,925 12,258 (Table-1) 4

5 References [1] Özden, Y. (2005). Öğrenme ve Öğretme. Ankara: Pegem Yayıncılık Özden, Y. (2005). Learning and Teaching. Ankara: Pegem Publications [2] Courtney, R. (1989). Play, Drama, And Thought: The intellectual background to dramatic education. (4th ed.). London: Cassell [3] T.C. Milli Eğitim Bakanlığı Orta Öğretim 9. Sınıf Kimya Öğretim Programı 9th grade Chemistry Curriculum by Turkish Republic Ministry of Education. [4] İspir, E.,Üstündağ, T. (2008). Ortaöğretim 9. Sınıf Kimya Dersi ve Yaratıcı Drama Yöntemi. Yaratıcı Drama Dergisi, Sayı: 6 ispir, E.,Üstündağ, T. (2008). High School 9th Grade Chemistry and Creative Drama Method. Creative Drama Magazine, Volume: 6 [5] Tanrısever, I. (2000). Matematik öğretiminde problem çözme stratejisi olarak dramatizasyonun kullanılması. Yayınlanmamış yüksek lisans tezi, İstanbul: Marmama Üniversitesi Tanrısever, I. (2000). Using Dramatization As a Problem Solving Strategy In Mathematics. Unpublished Master s degree thesis, Istanbul: Marmara University Adıgüzel, H.Ö. (2006). Yaratıcı drama kavramı, bileşenleri ve aşamaları. Yaratıcı Drama Dergisi, Sayı: 1 [6] Adıgüzel, H.Ö. (2006). Concept, principals and stages of creative drama. Creative Drama Magazine, Volume: 1 [7] Üstündağ, T. (2005). Yaratıcılığa Yolculuk. (3. Baskı) Ankara: Pegem A Yayıncılık Üstündağ, T. (2005). A Journey to Creativity. (3rd edition) Ankara: Pegem A Publications [8] Adıgüzel, H.Ö. (2002). Yaratıcı Drama Yazılar. Ankara: Naturel Yayınları Adıgüzel, H.Ö. (2002). Notes on Creative Drama Ankara: Naturel Publications [9] Boal, A. (2003). Oyuncular ve Oyuncu Olmayanlar İçin Oyunlar. İstanbul: Boğaziçi Üniversitesi Yayınevi Boal, A. (2003). Games for Everyone. İstanbul: Boğaziçi University Publications 5