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 Contents Next

Examining problems in project work executed in high schools according to student and teacher views

 

Güner TURAL^1,4, Nevzat YİĞİT² and Nedim ALEV³

^1,3Karadeniz Technical University, Fatih Faculty of Education, Department of Secondary Science and Math Education,
61335-Söğütlü- Trabzon /TURKEY

²Karadeniz Technical University, Fatih Faculty of Education, Department of Elementary Science Education,
61335-Söğütlü- Trabzon /TURKEY

⁴ Correspondence author

Email: gdincer55@gmail.com

Received 29 Dec., 2008
Revised 12 Jun., 2009

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Contents

• Abstract
• Introduction
• Method
  • Research Design
  • The Participants
• Data Analysis
• Findings
  • Deciding on the project topics
  • Schools’ Facilities to Execute Project Work in Physics Lesson
  • Issues with Project Work in Physics Lesson
  • Students’ Competence of Doing Project Work in Physics
  • The Participants’ Suggestions for Project Work in Physics
• Conclusions and Suggestions
• References

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Abstract

Project work is the primary method which enables practicing the activities that contemporary learning theories suggest. The aim of this study is to determine the issues encountered during project work in accordance with students’ and teachers’ views in secondary schools physics courses in the city of Trabzon, Turkey where project work has been executed. Case study strategies were adapted using semi-structured interview protocols with five teachers and five students in three different secondary schools. Findings revealed that students who designed their own projects lacked fundamental and experimental process skills such as “deciding on the project topic”, “observation”, “measuring and using the numbers”, “drawing conclusion” and “organizing and writing a report”. Issues such as time, availability of materials required in the project and consultancy needed have an effect on the process of project-based work. This study also indicated that students have not acquired the skills and knowledge of doing project-based work during their elementary education. Finally, the study illustrated that issues such as teacher pre-service and/or in-service training, cooperation among schools, university and other parts and support from local and national level are not enough to use project-based work in secondary schools, and thus it only depends on the school and teachers to utilize this mode of teaching of physics.

Keywords: Project work, scientific process skill, issues of project work, secondary education