ERIC Number: EJ1101180
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2016-Feb
Pages: 17
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1303-0485
EISSN: N/A
Rural Turkish Students' Reactions to Learning Science in a Mobile Laboratory
Erol, Mustafa; Buyuk, Ugur; Tanik Onal, Nagihan
Educational Sciences: Theory and Practice, v16 n1 p261-277 Feb 2016
The inadequacy of experimental activities (or lack of equipment) in science courses in rural parts of Turkey negatively effects students' acquisition of scientific thinking and inquiry skills. The fact that success rates are notably low in international assessments demonstrates the necessity to adopt "different" approaches apart from the existing learning and teaching methods. From this point of view, a mobile science laboratory (MSL) was constructed to deliver outreach activities in the rural outskirts of a city in Turkey. Experimental activities were carried out in this laboratory for six months with 324 middle school students who responded to survey questions. The research was designed with multimethod: A combination of quantitative and qualitative data-collection strategies was used. The first part has 25 five-point closed-ended Likert-scale items, and the second part has two open-ended questions. The results of the study show that the students in the rural areas were pleased with the activities; they enjoyed learning science in the MSL, and their interest and curiosity for science contents increased. It will be suggested that the MSLs should be used in order to support the science literacy of students in the rural areas of Turkey.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Middle School Students, Rural Youth, Rural Schools, Student Attitudes, Science Education, Science Laboratories, Science Experiments, Science Process Skills, Science Achievement, Outreach Programs, Student Surveys, Mixed Methods Research, Likert Scales, Rural Areas, Science Activities, Science Interests, Scientific Literacy, Statistical Analysis
Educational Consultancy, Ltd (EDAM). Kisikli Mh. Alemdag Cd. Yan Yol Sk., SBK Is Merkezi No:5 Kat:1, Uskudar-Istanbul, 34692 Turkey. Tel: +90-216-481-30-23; Fax: +90-216-481-31-36; e-mail: editor@edam.com.tr; Web site: http://www.estp.com.tr/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research; Tests/Questionnaires
Education Level: Middle Schools; Secondary Education; Junior High Schools
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Turkey
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A