The Effectiveness of the Gerlach-Elly Model in Acquiring Scientific Concepts in Teaching Science to Female Elementary School Students

Abstract

This study aimed to determine (the effectiveness of the Gerlach-Elly Model in Acquiring Scientific Concepts in Teaching Science to Female Elementary School Students(, specifically in the acquisition of scientific concepts. To achieve this objective, the researcher adopted a quasi-experimental design with two groups and a post-test. The study population consisted of seventh-grade female students in daytime secondary schools affiliated with the Erbil Education Directorate – Banslawa Hawler Education Department, during the 2024-2025 academic year. The study sample was selected purposively and comprised )49( students: )25(students in the experimental group, who studied science using the Gerlach-Ely model, and )24(students in the control group, who studied the same material using the traditional method.

After identifying the scientific topics to be studied during the experiment, the researcher formulated ( 207 ) behavioral objectives and designed an experiment to facilitate the acquisition of scientific concepts. This experiment consisted of(40) multiple-choice items, and its validity, reliability, discrimination ability, difficulty and ease measures, and the effectiveness of the alternatives were verified. The students' responses were then statistically analyzed using a t-test to determine the significance of the difference at the (0.05) level between the two groups. The results showed a statistically significant difference between the mean scores of the two groups on the science concept acquisition test, with the experimental group outperforming the control group. The study concluded with several findings and recommendations.