Views of Middle School Students on the Effectiveness of Science Courses Conducted with Biomimicry

Year 2023, Volume: 12 Issue: 3, 1353 - 1374, 30.09.2023

Betül Aydın , Dr. Fitnat Kaptan

https://doi.org/10.15869/itobiad.1257205

Abstract

This study investigated the views of middle school students on the effectiveness of science courses conducted with biomimicry. To this end, phenomenological design, one of the qualitative research methods, was used. The study group consisted of 10 students in grades 5 and 7 who continued their education in a middle school located in the central district of Ankara province in the 2021-2022 academic year. Participants were determined through criterion sampling. The data collected through semi-structured interviews were analyzed using descriptive analysis. Based on the findings, codes and themes were created. According to the results of the study, students emphasized that science courses conducted with biomimicry activities increased their motivation and contributed to their academic and social development, as well as improving their creativity. In addition, due to the permanence of knowledge and the fun nature of the lessons, students also want to use biomimicry-based activities in other courses. In the study, how students overcame the challenges they faced was also examined. In this context, student responses indicated that the activities took too much time, they had difficulty deciding on the organism to be inspired by, and that a lot of thinking was required. Providing options for students to conduct biomimicry activities in areas of their interest will encourage greater participation. It is recommended to conduct more comprehensive studies on integrating biomimicry into science courses using different measurement tools and different study groups. It is thought that the widespread use of biomimicry activities will have a positive impact on students' motivation and academic achievement.

Keywords

Science Education, Qualitative Research, Biomimicry, Primary Education, Design

Ortaokul Öğrencilerinin Biyomimikri ile Yürütülen Fen Derslerinin Etkililiğine İlişkin Görüşleri

Abstract

Bu çalışmada biyomimikri ile yürütülen fen derslerinin etkililiğine ilişkin ortaokul öğrencilerinin görüşleri araştırılmıştır. Bu amaç doğrultusunda nitel araştırma yöntemlerinden fenomonolojik (olgubilim) desen kullanılmıştır. Araştırmanın çalışma grubunu 2021-2022 eğitim öğretim yılında Ankara ilinin merkez ilçesinde bulunan bir ortaokulda 5. ve 7. sınıflarda eğitime devam eden 10 öğrenci oluşturmaktadır. Katılımcılar gönüllülük esasına dayalı olarak ölçüt örnekleme yöntemi ile araştırmaya dahil edilmiş ve yarı yapılandırılmış görüşmelerle veriler toplanmıştır. Elde edilen veriler betimsel analiz yöntemiyle analiz edilmiştir. Görüşmelerden elde edilen bulgular doğrultusunda uzman görüşüne başvurularak kodlar ve temalar oluşturulmuştur. Araştırmanın sonuçlarına göre öğrenciler, biyomimikri etkinlikleri ile yürütülen fen bilimleri derslerinin eğlendirici olduğunu, anlamlı öğrenmelerini ve motivasyonlarını artırdığını, akademik ve sosyal açıdan katkılar sağlamasının yanında yaratıcılıklarını geliştirdiğini vurgulamışlardır. İlave olarak öğrencilerin bilgilerde kalıcılık sağlaması ve derslerin daha eğlenceli olması sebebiyle diğer derslerde de biyomimikri odaklı etkinlikler kullanmak istedikleri sonucuna ulaşılmıştır. Biyomimikri uygulamaları okul dersleri ile doğa arasındaki bağlantıyı göstererek öğrencilerin okula daha yakın hissetmelerine neden olmuştur. Bu sayede öğrenciler farklı bir bakış açısı ile doğayı gözlemlemeyi öğrenmiş, yeni ve benzersiz fikirler üretebileceklerini düşünmüşlerdir. Araştırmada, öğrencilerin öğrenme deneyimleri, yaşadıkları zorluklar ve bu zorlukların üstesinden nasıl geldikleri de incelenmiştir. Bu kapsamda öğrenci yanıtları etkinliklerin çok zaman aldığı, ilham alınan organizmaya karar vermede zorlandıkları ve çok düşünmek gerektiği yönünde olmuştur. Fen eğitiminde biyomimikri konusu genellikle çok fazla kavram bilgisi gerektirmektedir. Biyomimikri kavramını anlamaları ve canlı organizmaların özelliklerini öğrenmeleri, onların kendi tasarımlarını oluşturma konusunda motivasyon kazanmalarına yardımcı olacaktır. Biyomimikri etkinlikleri gerçekleştirirken öğrencilerin kişisel ilgi alanlarının da dikkate alınması önemlidir. Öğrencilere ilgi duydukları alanlarda biyomimikri etkinlikleri gerçekleştirmeleri için seçenekler sunulması, öğrencilerin etkinliklere daha fazla katılım göstermelerini sağlar. Biyomimikri etkinliklerinin yaygınlaştırılmasının öğrencilerin motivasyonunu ve akademik başarılarını olumlu yönde etkileyeceği düşünülmektedir.

Keywords

Fen Eğitimi, Nitel Araştırma, Biyomimikri, İlköğretim, Tasarım

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