Author name:
علي عبد الزهرة جبار العداي
Supervisor name:
ليلى ابراهيم معوض | قحطان فضل راهي | محمد عبد الرازق عبد الفتاح
Abstract:
In Today's world, we live the age of huge scientific and technological development in all fields and various trends; particularly the education field due to being the tool for building human beings and preparing them to cope with the conditions and circumstances of the future. Therefore, developed nations and advanced countries give it a great deal of care and esteem for building man able to deal with the situations and data of the twenty first century. Scientific and technological developments confirm the active increasing role of natural sciences in all various fields of life aiming to the welfare of human beings, making them able to control the environment and developing and improving their thinking capabilities to solve the educational problems. Biology is considered one of the important natural sciences that has a role in the technological progress and explaining a lot of things and events as well as scientific phenomena functionally. Education gives due to care for preparing the students to face the future life due to being the source of science and being responsible for education the individual and preparing him to be a good man for himself and for his community. In order to reform educational systems with all aspects; including developing and preparing science teacher and improving his scientific level considered one of his most important educational scientific elements and constituents. Such matter cannot be achieved except through the application of developed educational programs and modern teaching approaches and strategies confirming the development of scientific concepts, including biological concepts, and skills of solving the educational problems. So, biological concepts, and skills of solving the problem did not only become just from the aspects of education, but they also became an important and basic pivot around which sciences syllabuses turn in various educational stages. Educators confirm the importance of learning the scientific concepts in a correct and sound manner since the absorption and understanding such concepts have become a main goal in all education stages and for all education curricula in general and for teaching sciences in particular. They also emphasize on the importance of finding out innovative and creative solutions for problems regularly related to the interest of teachers and students at the same level since most of educational problems require convincing educational problems. Henceforth, educational societies, symposia and conferences call for the necessity for providing educational programs depending on theories or strategies or modern teaching methodologies contributing to developing the education in general and developing the scientific concepts and problem solving skill in particular. This is the aim of the current survey regarding building teaching educational based on successful intelligence theory to develop biological concepts and problem solving skill for the students of fourth preparatory grade in Iraq. Survey problem : Based on the aforementioned facts, survey problem has been determined in the commonality of utilization of conventional teaching methods by teachers in teaching sciences focusing on the means of memorizing and instruction and storing information without regarding the extent of their importance in developing the biological concepts in teaching sciences as well as the decrease in the students' ability to use problem solving skill in facing the educational problems they face. In order to confront such problem, the current survey attempts to answer the following basic question : What is the effectiveness of a teaching educational program based on successful intelligence theory to develop biological concepts and problem solving skill for the students of fourth preparatory grade in Iraq? From such question, the following questions are branched : 1. What is the teaching educational program based on successful intelligence theory in biology for the students of fourth preparatory grade? 2. What is the effectiveness of the proposed program on successful intelligence theory in developing biological concepts at students of fourth preparatory grade? 3. What is the effectiveness of the proposed program on successful intelligence theory in developing problem solving skill at students of fourth preparatory grade? Survey Goals : This current survey aims to : 1. Preparing a teaching educational program based on successful intelligence theory in biology; 2. Identifying the effectiveness of the program based on successful intelligence theory in developing biological concepts at students of fourth preparatory grade; and 3. Identifying the effectiveness of the program based on successful intelligence theory in developing problem solving skill at students of fourth preparatory grade. Survey Limitations : The current survey is limited to the following limitations : 1. Preparing a general framework for the program for teaching the biological concepts included in biology book of fourth preparatory grade - fifth edition - year 2014. 2. Preparing units of animal adaptation with the environment (the seventh unit), the plant adaptation with the environment (eighth unit), animals and plants adaptation with lifestyles in environment (ninth unit) as reference units. 3. Conducting field experimenting during the second semester of the school year 2017 / 2018 on a group of fourth preparatory grade (scientific division) in Al Najaf City, Iraq. 4. The researcher adopted the levels of explanation and prediction and the utilization of concept in solving problems as well as using the concept in inferences or formulating scientific hypotheses as levels for developing biological concepts at fourth preparatory grade students. 5. The researcher considered problem feeling skills, problem identification, data and information collection, presenting hypotheses, testifying the authenticity of hypotheses, deducing the solution and generalizing it on other situations as dimensions in developing problem solving skill at students of fourth preparatory grade. 6. The survey results and their interpretation are limited with the conditions and nature of survey group and the time and the place of its application. Survey Approach and Empirical Design : The researcher applied the following two researching approaches : 1 - Descriptive Analytical Approach : upon preparing the program and the selected empirical units and the two tools of evaluation. 2 - Two Set Empirical Approach : Upon verifying the the effectiveness of the program. Therefore, the empirical design includes the following factors : 1 - Independent Factor : the program is based on successful intelligence theory. 2 - Two subordinate factors : biological concepts - problem solving problem. Survey Hypotheses : The researcher adopted the following hypotheses : 1. There is a statistical functional difference at level (0.05) between the average marks of empirical group students in the anterior application /posterior application for the test of developing biological concepts as a whole for the sake of the posterior application. 2. There is a statistical functional difference at level (0.05) between the average marks of empirical group students in the anterior application /posterior application for each level of test levels of developing biological concepts as a whole for the sake of the posterior application.3. There is a statistical functional difference at level (0.05) between the average marks of empirical group students and the observing group students in the posterior application for the test of developing the biological concepts as a whole for the sake of empirical group students. 4. There is a statistical functional difference at level (0.05) between the average marks of empirical group students and the observing group students in the posterior application for each level of test levels of developing biological concepts for the sake of empirical group students. 5. There is a statistical functional difference at level (0.05) between the average marks of empirical group students in the anterior application /posterior application for measuring the problem solving skill as a whole for the sake of the posterior application.6. There is a statistical functional difference at level (0.05) between the average marks of empirical group students in the anterior application /posterior application for each secondary skill from the skills of measuring the problem solving skill for the sake of the posterior application.7. There is a statistical functional difference at level (0.05) between the average marks of empirical group students and the observing group students for the posterior application of problem solving skill as a whole for the sake of the empirical group students. 8. There is a statistical functional difference at level (0.05) between the average marks of empirical group students and the observing group students for the posterior application of each secondary skill from the skills of measuring the problem solving skill for the sake of the posterior application.Defining the survey terms : Program : A group of procedures and skills pre - prepared in a regular form according do defined and certain goals enabling the development of the students regarding their knowledge and skills to reach the degree of perfection and excellence of the school subject. (Abdel Hamid - 2015, 15). The researcher adopted the definition of Abdel Hamid (2015) due to being the nearest definition to the procedures of his current survey. Teaching Educational Program : It is a regular plan based on forming a teaching educational environment including a group of teaching procedures with regular steps for the purpose of achieving the desired educational and teaching goals (Al Tany and El Selfany - 2014, 131). The researcher defines it procedurally as : a group of regular teaching procedures conducted by the researcher to establish a teaching educational environment based on educational application for the successful intelligence theory aiming to achieving pre - prepared educational and teaching goals. Successful Intelligence Theory : It is an integrated system of abilities necessary for success in life as defined by the person within his social and cultural framework. The person owning successful intelligence can distinguish his points of strength and benefit from them. At the same time, he can identify his points of weakness and find out methods to correct them and compensate them. Persons with successful intelligence can adapt to and form and choose the environments through balancing in their applications for analytical, innovative and scientific capabilities (Sternberg - 2011, 124). The researcher adopted the definition given by Sternberg - 2011 due to being the closest to the procedures of his current research. Development : It is the improvement in students' performance level at various educational situations and increasing the rate of the marks they get (Sehata and El - Nagger 2003, 15). The researcher defines it procedurally as : an improvement in the performance level of fourth preparatory grade students in recognizing the biological concepts at levels of developing the concepts represented in (interpretation, prediction, applying the concept in solving problems, applying the concept in inferences or in scientific hypotheses) and developing problem solving skill for secondary skills represented in (feeling the problem, identifying the problem, collecting data and information, presenting hypotheses, testifying the authenticity of the hypotheses, deducing the solution and generalizing it on situations). Such matters can be determined from the marks they get in testing the biological concepts and measuring the problem solving skill pre - prepared by the researcher for the purposes of the research. Concept : It is a phrase or a word or a symbol indicating a group of things or events or operations with common features. (Abdel Aziz 2012, 14) Biological Concepts : An Intellectual structure built by the student as a result of his recognition of the inner - relationships existing among phenomena or biological things included with each other under the name or a symbol or a biological term (Abboud 2013, 14) The researcher defines it procedurally as : an intellectual structure formed by students of fourth preparatory grade as a result of their identification for the common properties of biological phenomena included with each other under the name or a symbol or a biological term. Such matter can be determined from the marks the student gets in testing the biological concepts and measuring the problem solving skill pre - prepared by the researcher for the purposes of the research. Problem Solving Skill : They are the practical and intellectual steps and activities done by the individual to connect between the experience and the previous information he possesses and the problem he faces in order to reach the solution. (Abdel Fattah 2013, 11). The researcher defines it procedurally as : practical and intellectual steps and activities done by the student of fourth preparatory grade to connect between the experience and the previous information he possesses and the problem he faces in order to reach the solution. Such activities are representing in the ability to feel the problem, identify it, collecting its relevant data and information, presenting hypotheses for solving it, testifying the authenticity of such hypotheses, deducing the solution and generalizing it on other situations. Such matter can be determined from the marks the student gets in testing the biological concepts and measuring the problem solving skill pre - prepared by the researcher for the purposes of the research. Survey procedures : In order that the current survey answers the basic question and the secondary questions driving from it, such survey was conducted according to the following procedures : First : Building the teaching educational program based on successful intelligence theory in biology as follows : A - Determining the bases of building the program by checking the educational literature and the previous theses, referring to some Arab and foreign educational programs tackled the successful intelligence theory and analyzing the biology book of Fourth Preparatory Grade to determine the basic biological concepts and their secondary ones mentioned in it, studying the properties of preparatory stage students' growth. At the end, we can reach a list of principles and bases upon which the program is based. B - Building the program in the light of principles list reached in the previous step. It includes : 1. Identifying the general educational goals of the program through selecting the methodology of successful intelligence theory to construct and build the steps of the program. 2. Identifying the education outputs desired to be achieved during the application of the program based on successful intelligence theory. 3. Identifying teaching strategies related to successful intelligence theory. 4. Identifying the activities and sources of education. 5. Identifying the applied evaluation means in the program. C - Verifying the validity of the program by discussing it in its initial form with a group of the arbitrators prior to being applied on the students. Second : Preparing the reference units (animal adaptation with environment, plant adaptation with the environment, animal and plant adaptation with lifestyles in the environment) to determine their effectiveness for developing the biological concepts and problem solving skill according to the following steps : 1. Identifying the general goals of the educational units and the targeted education outputs. 2. Preparing the reference units (student book - preparing teacher guide book - preparing activities paper - preparing self evaluation forms). 3. Verifying the validity of the reference units by presenting them to a group of arbitrators and making the required amendments to them. 4. Preparing the reference units in their final form. Third : Preparing the two evaluation tools applied in the survey and verifying their scientific validity. They area : 1 - Biological Concepts Test. 2 - Problem Solving Skill Measurement. And verifying the correctness and the straightforwardness of the test and the calibration. Fourth : Identifying the effectiveness of the proposed program in developing the biological concepts and problem solving skill as follows : 1. Selecting the research group from students of fourth preparatory grade in El Najaf City in Iraq and dividing them into two groups : observing group and empirical group. 2. Applying the two evaluation tools prior to teaching the educational units to the two research groups (the observing and the empirical groups) in advanced manner. 3. Teaching the units prepared in the light of the program for the empirical group while teaching the same units according to the conventional system of teaching for the observing group. 4. Applying the two evaluation tools prior to teaching the educational units to the two research groups (the observing and the empirical groups) in a subsequent and posterior manner. 5. Collecting data and processing them statistically to reach the results and explaining them. 6. Provision of recommendations and proposals in the light of the achieved results. Survey Importance : The importance of the current survey arises from what is provided by the survey as follows : 1. A teaching educational program in biology for fourth preparatory grade in Iraq. It can also be beneficial for planners of biology syllabus. 2. Detailed patterns for units prepared in the light of successful intelligence theory in biology book provided for students of fourth preparatory grade in Iraq that can be beneficial to those responsible for planning and designing curricula. 3. Testing the biological concepts can benefit biology teachers upon evaluating their students. 4. Measuring the problem solving skill in biology can benefit the researchers in other surveys and researches as well as benefiting biology teachers in Iraq. Survey results : The current survey reached the following results : 1. The existence of a statistical functional difference between the average marks of empirical group students in the anterior application /posterior application for the test of developing biological concepts as a whole for the sake of the posterior application. 2. The existence of a statistical functional difference between the average marks of empirical group students in the anterior application /posterior application for each level of test levels of developing biological concepts as a whole for the sake of the posterior application.3. The existence of a statistical functional difference between the average marks of empirical group students and the observing group students in the posterior application for the test of developing the biological concepts as a whole for the sake of empirical group students.4. The existence of There is a statistical functional difference between the average marks of empirical group students and the observing group students in the posterior application for each level of test levels of developing biological concepts for the sake of empirical group students. 5. The existence of a statistical functional difference between the average marks of empirical group students in the anterior application /posterior application for measuring the problem solving skill as a whole for the sake of the posterior application.6. The existence of a statistical functional difference between the average marks of empirical group students in the anterior application /posterior application for each secondary skill from the skills of measuring the problem solving skill for the sake of the posterior application.7. The existence of a statistical functional difference between the average marks of empirical group students and the observing group students for the posterior application of problem solving skill as a whole for the sake of the empirical group students. 8. The existence of a statistical functional difference between the average marks of empirical group students and the observing group students for the posterior application of each secondary skill from the skills of measuring the problem solving skill for the sake of the posterior application.In conclusion for all the aforementioned facts, the current survey confirmed the effectiveness of the proposed program based on successful intelligence theory for developing biological concepts and problem solving skill at students of fourth preparatory grade in Iraq. Recommendations and ProposalsFirst : Research Recommendations : According to the results of the research, the researcher recommends the following : 1. To direct the attention of developers of science curricula to develop the three attributes or capabilities that characterize the theory of successful intelligence as a goal of teaching science.2. To direct the attention of those who prepare and train science teachers in general and teachers biology in particular in the preparatory stage to provide them with the analytical, creative and practical capabilities underpinning the theory of successful intelligence and training them to develop these capabilities among middle school students.3. Increase interest in the preparation of biology teachers to develop biological concepts and problem solving skills and train them to develop them in middle school students.4. Work on holding seminars and training courses for biology teachers during the service to train them on how to prepare educational programs that help to achieve the goals of learning.5. Work on the preparation of educational programs in line with the teaching methods and scientific trends in modern science teaching.6. The need to pay attention to the development of biology curricula, through the inclusion of programs and educational activities that show the role of biology in different stages of the study.7. The need to train biology teachers on the application of methods and strategies of modern teaching during the planning and implementation of educational lessons, to encourage students to understand and develop the concepts of biological and problem - solving skills.8. Work on building measuring tools represented by the three abilities underpinning the theory of successful intelligence commensurate with the abilities of students in various preparatory stages.Second : Research proposals : According to current research and research and previous studies, the researcher proposes the following research : 1. Building an educational program based on the theory of successful intelligence to develop the concepts of biology and problem solving skills among middle school students.2. Conducting the current research on a larger study sample in order to reach more objective and general results.3. Building a program based on the theory of successful intelligence in the fields of science (physics, chemistry) and different stages of study.4. Conducting a comparative study between the theory of successful intelligence and some other theories in terms of influencing the development of biological concepts and the skill of problem solving through the teaching of biology in different educational stages.5. Develop programs to prepare biology teachers to include the three capabilities underpinning the theory of successful intelligence.6. the effectiveness of the theory of successful intelligence to develop critical thinking and creative thinking among secondary school students.7. the effectiveness of the theory of successful intelligence with some other variables such as : development of scientific enlightenment, development of environmental concepts, development of science processes, development of educational achievement, development of cognitive preference, development of the trend towards science.8. In order to complete the results of the research, the researcher proposes to conduct further studies and researches on biology curricula in the intermediate and intermediate stages.
