Investigating the Effectiveness of Teaching Third-Grade Elementary Science with an Experiential Learning Approach on Students' Academic Motivation

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 PhD student in Educational Planning, Department of Education, Faculty of Education and Psychology, University of Isfahan, Iran.

2 dept of Education, faculty of education @ psychology, uni of isfahan

3 Assistant Professor of Higher Education Management, Department of Education, Faculty of Education and Psychology, University of Isfahan, Iran

10.48310/reek.2026.18700.1512

Abstract

Background and Purpose: Given the growing need among elementary students for active, experience-based learning, this quasi-experimental study examined the effectiveness of experiential teaching on academic motivation in third-grade science learners.
Methodology: A pretest–posttest–follow-up quasi-experimental design with experimental and control groups was employed. The statistical population comprised third-grade female students from a school in Shahinshahr, Isfahan (academic year 2022–2023). Using convenience and then random assignment, 40 students were allocated to two 20-member groups. The experimental group received five experiential learning sessions (45–60 minutes each), while the control group followed the conventional method. Data were collected via Harter’s (1981) standardized Academic Motivation Scale, validated by five educational experts and confirmed for reliability (Cronbach’s alpha). Data analysis used descriptive statistics (mean, SD) and inferential tests (Shapiro–Wilk, Levene’s, Box’s M, repeated measures ANOVA, Wilks’ Lambda, Mauchly’s sphericity, and LSD post hoc) in SPSS version 23.
Results: Results revealed that experiential teaching significantly enhanced overall academic motivation (p ≤ 0.01), as well as both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation among third-grade students.
Conclusion: By fostering active participation and hands-on engagement with scientific phenomena, experiential learning facilitates deeper conceptual understanding and improves learning quality in experience-oriented subjects like science. Its emphasis on direct interaction with real-world contexts makes it particularly effective in elementary science education.

Keywords

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics