The effect of a proposed strategy based on the Ecological Systems Theory on the achievement of fifth-grade primary school pupils in science and their environmental awareness

Abstract

This research aims to identify the effect of a proposed strategy based on the ecological systems theory on the achievement of fifth-grade primary school pupils in science and their environmental awareness. The researcher employed the experimental method using the equivalent-group design (experimental and control). Al-Aqsa Primary School for Boys was purposefully selected, and the research sample was distributed into two classes. Class (A) represented the experimental group, chosen randomly, and consisted of (37) pupils, while Class (B) represented the control group and consisted of (35) pupils, bringing the total sample to (72) pupils. To ensure equivalence between the two groups, the following variables were controlled: chronological age measured in months, prior knowledge test, intelligence test, and environmental awareness scale. The researcher specified the scientific material as selected topics from the prescribed science textbook for the fifth grade. Subsequently, (120) behavioral objectives were formulated, covering the first three levels of Bloom’s cognitive domain classification—knowledge, comprehension, and application—in order to ensure the inclusiveness of objectives across the pupils’ basic thinking domains.

As for the research instruments, they included an achievement test consisting of (40) multiple-choice items with four alternatives. It was constructed according to a table of specifications that ensured balance between objectives and content. The researcher verified its validity by presenting it to a panel of experts, and examined its psychometric properties in terms of difficulty and discrimination indices, as well as the effectiveness of the alternatives. In addition, its reliability was confirmed using the split-half method. The researcher also employed an environmental awareness scale consisting of (36) items, designed to measure pupils’ level of environmental awareness across its different dimensions.

After administering the research instruments to both groups and analyzing the data using the appropriate statistical methods, the results indicated that the pupils in the experimental group significantly outperformed those in the control group in both the achievement test and the environmental awareness scale.