The effectiveness of interactive cartoon drawings in improving the science achievement of fifth-grade elementary students

Abstract

This research aims to identify the effectiveness of using cartoons in improving the science achievement of fifth-grade female students. To verify this objective, the following null hypothesis was formulated: "There is no statistically significant difference at the (0.05) level between the mean scores of the experimental group students who studied using cartoons and the mean scores of the control group students who studied using the traditional method on the science achievement test.The research was limited to fifth-grade female students in primary schools for girls in the governorate center, affiliated with the General Directorate of Education in Babylon, during the 2025-2026 academic year.The researcher adopted the experimental method and used a quasi-experimental design with equivalent groups, comprising two research groups (experimental and control). The researcher purposively selected the research sample from one of the primary schools affiliated with the Babil Education Directorate (Quraish Primary School for Girls), consisting of (80) fifth-grade female students, with (40) students in section A and (40) students in section B. The two research groups were considered equivalent. The researcher identified the scientific material, which represented the last two units of the fifth-grade science textbook. She also defined the behavioral objectives in the cognitive domain, which included the first three levels (knowledge, comprehension, and application), totaling (129) behavioral objectives. The necessary lesson plans were prepared for both research groups, totaling (20) lesson plans. The research instrument was prepared: an achievement test consisting of (40) multiple-choice items, calculated using the Kuder-Richardson equation. The score after correction was (20). Using the Spearman-Brown equation (0.891)The experiment was conducted during the first semester of the 2025-2026 academic year over a period of nine weeks. The actual teaching period began on Monday, 16-9, 2025, and the experiment concluded on Thursday 29-12, 2025.After correcting the achievement test responses, the data were statistically analyzed using an independent samples t-test. The results showed:A statistically significant difference at the 0.05 level between the mean scores of the experimental group (taught using cartoons) and the mean scores of the control group (taught using the traditional method) in the science achievement variable, favoring the experimental group.In light of the research results, the researcher reached a set of conclusions, the most important of which are:

- The use of caricatures showed the superiority of the experimental group students who were taught using caricatures in the achievement variable in the science subject for the fifth grade of primary school.