Opinions of Middle School Students on Implementation Activities for Pure Substances and Mixtures Units in the Homeschooling during the Pandemic

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic, which has spread the world and our country, has negatively affected the field of education as well as affecting many areas of life. Due to the epidemic, schools were closed and distance education was started. One of the most important learning ways we will use to develop the attitude towards active learning in order to make the science lesson more effective and permanent during the pandemic is science activities. That’s why it is important to investigate the applicability of science activities in the home environment during the distance education period. The purpose of this research is to design and implement science activities that can be done at home during the COVID-19 pandemic. The participants of the research consist of 30 middle school students in the 7th-grade class who take science courses in Afyonkarahisar. In this process, experiments related to the subject were determined and students were asked to do these experiments at home with the available facilities. A 7-item interview form was prepared as a data collection tool. Semi-structured interviews were also conducted with the students. According to obtained the results; It has been reached that the students easily adapt the materials used in the laboratory at home. During the applying experiments of the relevant subject at home, they carried out the experiments with the help of their families, the experiments contributed them a better understanding of the subject, and they experienced more easily due to performing by themselves. However, it has also been observed that there are students who have difficulties in doing the experiments at home.

Keywords

• covid-19 pandemic
• distance education
• homeschooling
• science activities
• pure substance and mixtures