The Effect of Science Teaching in a Future Classroom Laboratory Learning Environment on the Information and Technology Literacy, and Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving Skills of 7th-Grade Students

Halil Turgut; Cemre Ece Ünal

doi:10.19126/suje.1783637

The Effect of Science Teaching in a Future Classroom Laboratory Learning Environment on the Information and Technology Literacy, and Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving Skills of 7th-Grade Students

Abstract

One of the key goals of 21st-century education is to equip students with essential life and thinking skills required by the modern age. In line with this objective, many countries are carrying out national and international projects focused on flexible and innovative learning environments. In this context, the “Future Classroom Lab” model developed by the European Schoolnet has pioneered efforts in 18 different countries to establish flexible learning spaces that promote key competencies. The aim of this study is to examine the effects of science instruction, designed in alignment with this model, on seventh-grade middle school students’ information and technology literacy, as well as their critical thinking and problem-solving skills. A quantitative research approach was adopted, utilizing a one-group pretest-posttest experimental design. The study sample consisted of 30 seventh-grade students (15 girls, 15 boys) from a public middle school in Antalya, selected through stratified sampling. The implementation was carried out over a total of 33 class hours in a Future Classroom Lab located within a social sciences high school in Antalya. Various data collection tools were employed to assess students’ information and technology literacy, as well as their critical thinking and problem-solving abilities, including a project design form, assessment rubrics, and a scenario-based evaluation form. The collected data were analyzed using the SPSS 29.0 software. The findings of the study revealed that the instructional process implemented in the Future Classroom Lab significantly improved students' cognitive skills in the aforementioned areas.

Keywords

Ethical Statement

An ethical approval for this research was received from the Ethics Committee of Süleyman Demirel University with the letter dated 25/12/2022 and numbered 127/19. The research was carried out in accordance with the ethical principles.

Thanks

The authors would like to thank the editors and anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments that contributed to the improvement of this paper and Antalya Erünal Social Sciences High School for providing us with the opportunity to use their FCL learning environments.

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Science Education

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Halil Turgut ^*
0000-0002-9201-923X
Türkiye

Cemre Ece Ünal
0000-0001-5430-8703
Türkiye

Early Pub Date

April 6, 2026

Publication Date

April 13, 2026

Submission Date

September 14, 2025

Acceptance Date

March 18, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 16 Number: 1

DOI

https://doi.org/10.19126/suje.1783637

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA36TA34XE

Cite

RIS / Bibtex

APA

Turgut, H., & Ünal, C. E. (2026). The Effect of Science Teaching in a Future Classroom Laboratory Learning Environment on the Information and Technology Literacy, and Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving Skills of 7th-Grade Students. Sakarya University Journal of Education, 16(1), 110-130. https://doi.org/10.19126/suje.1783637

AMA

1.Turgut H, Ünal CE. The Effect of Science Teaching in a Future Classroom Laboratory Learning Environment on the Information and Technology Literacy, and Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving Skills of 7th-Grade Students. SUJE. 2026;16(1):110-130. doi:10.19126/suje.1783637

Chicago

Turgut, Halil, and Cemre Ece Ünal. 2026. “The Effect of Science Teaching in a Future Classroom Laboratory Learning Environment on the Information and Technology Literacy, and Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving Skills of 7th-Grade Students”. Sakarya University Journal of Education 16 (1): 110-30. https://doi.org/10.19126/suje.1783637.

EndNote

Turgut H, Ünal CE (April 1, 2026) The Effect of Science Teaching in a Future Classroom Laboratory Learning Environment on the Information and Technology Literacy, and Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving Skills of 7th-Grade Students. Sakarya University Journal of Education 16 1 110–130.

IEEE

[1]H. Turgut and C. E. Ünal, “The Effect of Science Teaching in a Future Classroom Laboratory Learning Environment on the Information and Technology Literacy, and Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving Skills of 7th-Grade Students”, SUJE, vol. 16, no. 1, pp. 110–130, Apr. 2026, doi: 10.19126/suje.1783637.

ISNAD

Turgut, Halil - Ünal, Cemre Ece. “The Effect of Science Teaching in a Future Classroom Laboratory Learning Environment on the Information and Technology Literacy, and Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving Skills of 7th-Grade Students”. Sakarya University Journal of Education 16/1 (April 1, 2026): 110-130. https://doi.org/10.19126/suje.1783637.

JAMA

1.Turgut H, Ünal CE. The Effect of Science Teaching in a Future Classroom Laboratory Learning Environment on the Information and Technology Literacy, and Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving Skills of 7th-Grade Students. SUJE. 2026;16:110–130.

MLA

Turgut, Halil, and Cemre Ece Ünal. “The Effect of Science Teaching in a Future Classroom Laboratory Learning Environment on the Information and Technology Literacy, and Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving Skills of 7th-Grade Students”. Sakarya University Journal of Education, vol. 16, no. 1, Apr. 2026, pp. 110-3, doi:10.19126/suje.1783637.

Vancouver

1.Halil Turgut, Cemre Ece Ünal. The Effect of Science Teaching in a Future Classroom Laboratory Learning Environment on the Information and Technology Literacy, and Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving Skills of 7th-Grade Students. SUJE. 2026 Apr. 1;16(1):110-3. doi:10.19126/suje.1783637