The effect of animations involving role models taking intellectual risks on fourth grade gifted students’ intellectual risk-taking behaviors and science learning

The effect of animations on fourth grade gifted students

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate effect of animations involving role models taking intellectual risks on fourth grade gifted students’ intellectual risk-taking behaviors and learning in science course. The study is a quasi-experimental study with two experimental groups, and a control group. Science achievement test, intellectual risk-taking observation form and reflections of students were used to collect data. The first experimental group involved just gifted students, while experimental group two and control group involved non-gifted students. Experimental applications of the study lasted for eight weeks, two independent observers made observations for intellectual risk-taking behaviors of the participants during the applications in science course. In data analysis, ANOVA and t-test for dependent groups were used to analyze achievement and gain scores. Also, frequencies of the behaviors were represented and content of reflections form was analyzed by identifying examples of intellectual risk-taking. The result showed that not only the animations including role models provided a positive effect on increasing the frequency of intellectual risk-taking behaviors, but also they contributed to the learning of gifted and non-gifted fourth-grade students in science.