Science and technology teacher has applied for the experimental group the daily plans and
activities which have been prepared in accordance with project based learning approach.
Necessary discussions and explanations have been made about how the process will be executed.
For the control group, the teaching method of the teacher has not been intervened and the lessons
have been given as planned by the teacher and by using activities proper with the traditional
learning approach.
210 Özge Işık, Berna Gücüm
In order to determine the equivalence regarding the intervening variable which can affect
specially dependent variable and which is described in the study problem of the student at
experimental and control group, “Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire” has been
applied over both of the groups and it has been controlled if there are any difference in between
groups. So the operations performed over the experimental group have been summarized as
below.
Considering that the students of the experimental group may have lack of information
related with properties of project based learning approach, these students have been clearly
informed about the approach before starting the study process. This information provision has
been performed within total two periods and information has been related with project based
learning approach and its properties. Project groups have been composed and project explanation
forms have been distributed to students. It has been requested from each project groups to think
about specific projects and to perform studies over these projects. It has been requested from
students to fill out the explanatory form after they determined their projects. According to the
information written over the project explanation forms, project subjects have been determined by
making reviews with students. Tasks of student within the groups have been determined and
students have written their duties and responsibilities over the distributed project team forms and
have signed these forms. For groups which have been composed from the student of experimental
group specific days of the weeks have been determined by the researcher. The students at each
group have performed studies at the specific days which have been assigned for them under the
supervision of the researcher at science and technology laboratory. Studies supporting the project
studies and allowing the groups to reach at the sources, to perform researches have been executed.
During the studies, various forms related with project based learning approach such as research
plan, project team product plan, project design form have been distributed to the students.
Students have filled out these distributed forms every week. Explanations related with the
performed studies have been made to the students and information about the missing parts has
been given to them. Each one of the meetings performed has been documented by meeting
agenda form constructed by the researcher.
At the end of the application, students have presented their projects to their teachers,
project consultant and trainee teachers at the science and technology laboratory. Project groups
have been evaluated by “Project Group Evaluation Form”. Information has been given to the
students after their presentations. After the application, “Project Study Evaluation Form” has been
distributed to the students in order them to evaluate both themselves and the other students within
the same group. In order to evaluate if there is any change in the motivations of the students for
science and technology lesson, measurement tool which has been given as a pre – test instruments
has been re – administrated.