Hands-On Activities Versus Worksheets In Reinforcing Physical Science Principles: Effects On Student Achievement And Attitude

Abstract

A posttest-only control group experimental design with a counter-balanced replication was used to determine the effects on cognitive achievement (both immediate and delayed) and attitude toward the subject matter of a hands-on activity versus a worksheet in reinforcing physical science principles. The experimental results were stable across both replications, regardless of the subject matter (Ohm 's Law or incline plane). For both the Ohm 's Law and the incline plane replications, there were no significant (p > .10) differences in immediate or 11-day delayed cognitive achievement posttest scores between students participating in a hands-on reinforcement activity or a worksheet reinforcement activity. Thus, it was concluded that the two methods were equally eflective in reinforcing student subject matter learning. For both replications, students participating in the hands-on reinforcement activity had a significantly more positive (p > .10) attitude toward the subject matter than did students in the worksheet group. It was concluded that hands-on activities were superior to worksheets in developing positive student attitudes toward academic subject matter.