Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of computer simulations designed to assist 9^th grade students in learning the “cell unit”. Bloom taxonomy was utilised for the design of the study and the interpretation of its findings. Participants were 91 (Male =55, Female=36) year nine students studying at Fatih Secondary School in Diyarbakir, Turkey. The control and experimental groups were selected at random. Students in the control group were taught using traditional teacher centred methods, where as students in experimental group were taught with the assistance of relevant computer simulations. An achievement test consisting of five questions in each of Bloom’s six domains (that is, knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation) was given to both the control and experimental groups as a pre- and post- test. The data were analysed using SPSS 15.0 package program (t-test and ANOVA). Finding suggest that students who had access to the computer simulations scored higher on the post- tests.

Key words: Simulations, teaching/learning strategies, secondary education, improving classroom teaching, interactive learning environments.