January 2012 Volume 15 Number 1 - Educational Technology ...

consideration in an educational setting. They all play a vital role in providing effective education (Lyons, 2001). The
quality of learning experience can be understood through an investigation of how key factors of the experience are
related. Key factors associated with the quality of the learning experience are how students approach their learning
and what they think they actually learn from the experience (Ellis, 2004).
The present research evaluated and compared sixth-grade students’ perceptions of science and technology classes at
20 different elementary schools in Turkey. The results of the present study show that six graders’ perceptions of
science and technology classes differed significantly by gender. One of the most significant conclusions to be drawn
from the findings was that male students were interested in science and technology classes more than female students
were. The result derived from the findings of the current study is consistent with results from previous research
(Erickson & Erickson, 1984; Johnson & Murphy, 1984; Simpson & Oliver, 1985; Johnson, 1987; Becker, 1989;
Engstrom & Noonan, 1990; Greenfield, 1996; Lee & Burkam, 1996; Ding & Harskamp, 2006).
Statistically significant differences were found between male and female students toward the importance of science
and technology classes. It means that the data supports the significance difference between male and female students’
perceptions toward the importance of science and technology. Male students considered science and technology
classes more important and had a more positive tendency toward learning science and technology than the female
students did. Gender issues have long been a topic of discussion and research in the field of science and technology
education. Numerous studies have been conducted to explain gender differences in participation and achievement in
science and technology. Studies show that many instructors base their expectations of student performance on gender
factor as well as language proficiency, socioeconomic status, and prior achievement (Green, 1989). Leder (1989) in
particular has claimed that academic success in mathematics is associated mostly with males. The results of other
studies clearly showed that male students consistently showed a higher interest and achievement than females
(Johnson, 1987, Tobin & Garnett, 1987; Norman, 1988; Otto 1991; Meece & Holt 1993; Trumper, 2006). Taking
these results into consideration, many science education programs have recently been developed to increase girls’
participation in science (Yanowitz & Vanderpool, 2004).
There was statistically significant difference between gender groups toward the necessity of science and technology
classes. This finding indicates that male students found science and technology classes more necessary than female
students did. This result is consistent with the findings by James & Smith (1985), Eccles (1989), Linn & Hyde
(1989), Kahle & Meece (1994), and Catsambis (1995), who found that gender differences begin to appear in the
middle grades and that the gender gap in science achievement increases between ages 9 and 13. This result also
supports Yager & Yager (1985), Schibeci (1984), Greenfield (1996), Jovanovich & King (1998), and Stake & Mares
(2001), who found that students begin to show differences for science in elementary and middle school, and that girls
exhibit lower science achievement scores than boys do at the middle-school level.
Statistically significant differences were found between gender groups toward their perceptions of learning
environment in science and technology classes. Female students found the learning environment less sufficient and
effective than did male students. The quality of the learning environment is important to realize effective learning,
and a well-designed learning environment both enhances students’ learning and leads to higher learning
achievement. It not only depends on the design but also on how effectively it is delivered and used because the
learning experience is directly influenced by the way the learning resource is delivered. To do this, the learning
environment should be designed to promote relevant interaction between learner and learning resources to achieve
the stated learning outcomes and to provide timely feedback to learners regarding their progress, and should be
consistent with the most efficient and effective method to meet learning outcomes.
The findings of the present study imply that it is important to design learning environments in such a way as to
facilitate and enhance science and technology learning. These are in line with the ideas of contemporary learning
theorists such as Brown, Collins, and Duguid (1989); Spiro, Feltovich, Jacobsen, and Coulson, (1991); and Bereiter
and Scardamalia (1996). They believe that one of the key goals of instruction is to provide opportunities for learners
to develop mastery in the areas they are each involved in. School facilities have also an effect on student
performance. Recent studies that evaluated the relationship between school buildings and student achievement found
higher test scores for students learning in better buildings and lower scores for students learning in substandard
buildings. A recent report evaluating school facilities showed a difference in student test scores ranging from 5 to 17
percentage points (Lyons, 2001).
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