A study on evaluation of the biology projects submitted to the TUBITAK secondary education research projects contest from the Bursa Region

The scientific world of our time progresses rapidly, which in turn necessitates the implementation of various changes in pedagogical methods. The individual (whose general position has hitherto been passive) has begun to play an active role in terms of attaining and conveying information. This change in the learning patterns of individuals has also been reflected in the pedagogical methodology in current use. One of these methods is project-oriented learning, which is an effective tool used in solving interdisciplinary (math, science, social sciences etc.) problems (Dede and Yaman, 2003; Kufrevioglu, Baydas and Goktas, 2011).

Projects are collective or individual studies wherein students may freely participate and which are designed for the solution of a problem pertaining to the acquisition of a skill or the comprehension of a notion. That a student may independently decide how and in what order he/she may solve the given problem is the fundamental characteristic of a project (Dede and Yaman, 2003; Korkmaz and Kaptan, 2001). The problems may either be persistent problems which the students previously faced (but were unable to solve), as well as brand new problems which were never encountered before (Dede and Yaman, 2003). Project preparation is of vital importance in the solution of such problems. Project design process includes all actions from the emergence of idea through writing out, developing, implementing, and evaluating it as well as generating new ideas based on it (İçelli et al., 2007). Within this process, students plan their learning processes in line with particular goals individually or in group, do research, work in cooperation, take responsibility, collect information, and organize the collected information (Yurtluk, 2005). It is mostly under the responsibility of students to reach and properly use the information (Demirhan and Demirel, 2003). A product is created during or after the project, and the individual acquires new information and/or experience which he/she will use in life (Blumenfeld et al., 1991; Blumenfeld et al., 1994; Marx et al., 1997; Thomas, 2000). For the last few years, projects have been gaining increasing acceptance in both public and private education, and their results are often shared with the public. Such projects employ scientific methods and techniques, and may focus on both curricular and extracurricular subjects. One of these activities is the research project contest carried out by TUBITAK. These contests, as Okan (1989) also says, are the first contests which make use of the project technique in Turkey.

The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) holds the “Research Project Competition for Secondary Education Students” every year to encourage secondary education students to carry out study in the fields of basic research and social studies, to steer their studies, and to contribute to their scientific development. The 46th competition is carried out in 2015. The competition covers the 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grades of secondary education institutions. 50 projects selected in 12 regional exhibitions become entitled to participate in the final exhibition held in Ankara, the capital city of Turkey. The projects selected for the final exhibition are about Computer, Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Geography, Psychology, Sociology, Turkish Language and Literature, and History. The yearly distribution of the projects invited to the final exhibition varies by the project nature and the number of initial applications. The projects are evaluated by academicians who are specialized in relevant fields. In evaluation, attention is focused on criteria such as originality and creativity in defining and approaching the project problem; preparation of the project plan; appropriateness of the materials and methods employed in the project for the problem; skill of, attention to, and diligence in the design and investigation of the problem; continuing the efforts from the definition to the solution of the problem; the establishment of cause and effect relationships in the examination of the results and the clarity of such relationships; quality in report-writing; and reference to the organizations, institutions, and sources from which help has been received.

As is known, scientific research has certain characteristics. Cohen, Manion, and Morrison (2000) who touch upon these characteristics state that research must be systematic and controlled, include deduction and induction, and be subjected to investigation for the ideas and views indicated in it to be tested, and its results must be discussed by scientists for its accuracy to be accepted or rejected (cited in Ekiz, 2009). Considering these characteristics which are supposed to underlie scientific research, the criteria by which projects are evaluated are of great importance. As indicated by Özer and Özkan (2011), the evaluation of research projects must be made based on the following criteria: originality of the project; accuracy of the knowledge; determination of the problem; working plan of the project; distribution of tasks in the group; determination of the need; literature review; the fitness of the tools suggested for experiment and observation for purpose; explanation of the testing procedure; selection of proper statistics; data analysis; presentation of the findings; interpretation of the findings based on relevant sources; recommendations for future work; providing references; answering the questions during presentation; presenting the subject in such a way that it attracts the attention of the audience; supporting the presentation with materials appropriate for the objective; language use and coherence of explanations in the presentation; making the presentation in the prescribed time; and the collaboration and harmony of group members during the presentation.

Güngör et al, (2013) provided project evaluation criteria under eight main titles (1-Determination of Problem, 2-Originality and Creativity, 3-Scientific Method, 4-Consistency and Contribution, 5-Usefulness, 6-Implementability, 7-Literature Review, 8-Result) and put some sub-scales under these titles. It is clear that these criteria include all the characteristics which a scientific project has to bear. In this regard, the present study mainly aims to evaluate 107 biology projects that were submitted to Bursa Regional Coordinator’s Office by secondary education students between 2009 and 2012 within the scope of the “Research Project Competition for Secondary Education Students” held by TUBITAK on the basis of scientific research methods and techniques, to determine the quality of these projects, and to identify their status relative to those in Bursa Region and those in Turkey as a whole. Among other aims of the study are to help those students and teachers who are to engage in projects in the subsequent years manage and finalize the project process better and to demonstrate certain deficiencies.