Asia-Pacific Forum on Science Learning and Teaching, Volume 10, Issue 1, Article 10 (June, 2009) Güner TURAL & Nevzat YİĞİT & Nedim ALEV Examining problems in project work executed in high schools according to student and teacher views Previous Contents Next

Findings

In this section findings about who decides and plans the project are presented first. Then findings about the infrastructure of the schools are presented. Next, the participants’ ability to do project work is covered, followed by the stages of project work at which they encountered problems. Finally, the participants’ suggestions to better project-based work in physics lessons are presented.

Deciding on the project topics

Table 2 illustrates who decides the topic or the problem of the project work to be studied. As seen from the data, teachers in all types of schools generally let students decide which topic or problem to study.

Table 2. Deciding on the project topic

Schools	Students	Teachers
Private High School	Student’s decision Teacher’s decision	Collaboration between teacher, student and postgraduates, Teacher’s decision
Science High School	Student’s decision (2)	Student’s decision Collaboration between teacher, student and academician
Anatolia High School	Student’s decision	Student’s decision
(n): the number of the participants that emphasized the idea

The data also revealed that during decision making process, students can gain help from their teacher, a post-graduate student or an academician. In state schools such as the Science and Anatolia High Schools, students are in control over the decision of the topic under the guidance of the teacher. In the private school, however, a hybrid approach is in action; that is, both the teacher and students themselves can decide on the topic of the project work. Following excerpts illustrate the decision process of the topic.

Teacher B, for instance, commented that, “In general students’ opinions and teacher’s opinions together shape the final decision. We don’t get any support from university, but sometimes we asked for help from a post-graduate student”. Teacher C, on the other hand, declared that, “I decide myself. We decide the feasibility of the project in teacher meeting”. Student A emphasizes that his teacher helps him to find a topic and said, “Our teacher gives options and we chose among them. While I chose, I chose the one I like and the one that I would learn the most about”. Teacher E commented that, “Mostly an academician or we determine the topic, but lately students have started to think for themselves and take the responsibility, too.”

Schools’ Facilities to Execute Project Work in Physics Lesson

Table 3 illustrates whether the schools’ facilities are sufficient to execute project work in physics lessons from the participants’ point of view and experiences. Teachers and students from state schools declared that their schools’ facilities are insufficient to perform the project work in physics lessons.

Table 3. Sufficiency of schools’ facilities for physics projects

Schools	Students	Teachers
Private High School	Sufficient (2)	Sufficient (2)
Science High School	Insufficient (2)	Insufficient (2)
Anatolia High School	Insufficient	Insufficient
(n): the number of the participants that emphasized the idea

The private school, however, has sufficient facilities to perform the project work as both participating groups stressed. Following excerpts illustrate the participants’ views on this issue.

Teacher B from the private school, for instance, stressed that, “All materials we need are provided by school administration”. Teacher E from Science High School, on the other hand, commented that, “We encounter problems about materials. The university doesn’t help us enough. And we have a budget problem.” Student D from Science High School stressed that, “We get the materials we need for the Project work from university and from other shop, our laboratory is not sufficient.” Student A from Anatolia High School also mentioned that, “I think laboratory is not sufficient enough for project work.” The data from both participating groups indicate that state schools have not have a sufficient laboratory and facilities to perform project work mainly because the budget of the state schools is not enough to cover expenses of the laboratories.

Issues with Project Work in Physics Lesson

Table 4 illustrates at which stage(s) the participants faced some problems, taking their experiences into consideration. As can be seen from the Table 4, doing experiments, gathering data and doing the analysis (i.e. calculating, interpretation, reporting as the participants declared) are the most problematic part of doing project work in physics.

Table 4. The stages that the participants faced with some problems

Schools	Students	Teachers
Private High School	Making a decision on the project topic Data gathering Doing experiment Calculating Interpreting the data	Planning Data gathering Reporting
Science High School	Calculating (2) Time (2) Doing experiment	Doing experiment (2) Time Data gathering
Anatolia High School	Making a report Doing experiment	Data analysis
(n): the number of the participants that emphasized the idea

Especially from the participating teachers’ point of view, preparing and doing experiments is the most difficult part of project work. Teacher E from Science High School, for instance, stressed that,

“They experience problems during doing experiment and gathering data. The reason for this is that our school has not had some apparatus required for their experiments, we do not have a close relationship with the university to use their facilities.”

Student C from the private school commented that, “There are some experiments which I can’t do...[that] require more information. I have some difficulties of doing the calculations and interpreting the data.” Student A from Anatolia High School, on the other hand, declared that, “I have difficulties in converting the experiment into a report. I also need professional support, for instance, from an electrician, to set up difficult experiment settings.”

Students’ Competence of Doing Project Work in Physics

Table 5 illustrates the participants’ views on students’ knowledge and capability of doing project work in physics. Data show that both participating groups were negative on students’ ability of doing project work.

Table 5. Students’ ability of doing project work

Schools	Students	Teachers
Private High School	Had previous experience of doing project work (2) Feel confident on doing project work (2)	Incapable (2) Gaining skills by doing project work (2)
Science High School	Not have previous experience Not feel confident on doing project work	Incapable (2) Gaining skills by doing project work (2)
Anatolia High School	No previous experience Lack of laboratory experience	Partially have
(n): the number of the participants that emphasized the idea

Only students from private schools had executed project work in elementary school felt confident executing project work. However, both teachers from the private school commented that their students are not capable of doing project work in physics, stressing that they are learning and acquiring required skills by doing a project. Science high school students from both Anatolia and the Science High School claim that they have lack of laboratory experience and did not have any experience of doing project work in their elementary education. Teachers B, C and D share the same opinions about their students, stressing that, for instance, “At the beginning they were not capable of doing project work. In the course of time we guide and teach them the information and skills they need throughout the project work” (Teacher C). Teacher D from the Science High School, on the other hand, commented that, “Generally our students don’t have any experience of doing project work earlier, but we show some exemplary already finished project work to new comers and explain to them haw a project work can be planned and executed.” Student A from Anatolia High School stressed that “We did not do any project work so I don’t have enough laboratory experience.” Student D from the Science High school made similar points stressing that he doesn’t have the skills of doing project work. It is clear from the data that students are learning by doing project work in all secondary schools.

The Participants’ Suggestions for Project Work in Physics

Table 6 illustrates the participants’ suggestions about doing project work especially about the solutions of the encountered problems during project work.

Table 6. Participants’ suggestions

Schools	Students	Teachers
Private High School	Reaching more information (2)	Curriculum reformation Elective lessons Exams
Science High School	Science club Collaboration with university Reaching more information (2)	Science club Collaboration with university
Anatolia High School	Professional help	Ways to reach the source of information
(n): the number of the participants that emphasized the idea

As the data shows, to overcome the difficulties the ideas for improvement, such as collaboration with university and forming a science club in schools, are shared by teachers and students. Teacher E from the Science High School, for instance, claimed that “In order to overcome this difficulty we try to cooperate with the university and established a science club at school, but that wasn’t enough.” Student D from the same school stressed that, “In my opinion there should be science clubs and they should cooperate with universities.” Teacher C from private school mentioned that, “For project work there should be elective lessons. It is important to get rid of laziness that university entrance exams promote.” Both student B and C declared that they want access to more information when needed during the project work. Student C stressed that, “There are experiments that I can’t do I need more information.”