Examining the Effect of Using Mobile Technologies in Chemistry Laboratory on Self-Directed Learning Readiness: An Action Research

Abstract

The aim of the present research is to determine the current situation in the readiness levels of 11th grade high school students for self-directed learning, to examine the effectiveness of laboratory activities developed with with mobile technology integrated into the 5E learning model in various chemistry subjects on students’ self-directed learning levels, and to contribute to improving the quality of teaching by taking student opinions about the activities developed at the end of the study. The research was designed as action research from qualitative research designs. The related laboratory activities developed within the scope of the research were carried out with thirty-three 11th grade students. The Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale (SDLRS) was used to determine the readiness levels of high school students for self-directed learning and a semi-structured interview form was used to determine the students’ views on the activities. The data obtained from the interviews were analyzed by content analysis. During the applications, students performed the activities with mobile technology in a much shorter time compared to the classical laboratory activities and they had the opportunity for self-directed learning thanks to the mobile technology support they used in the applications. In the study, it was observed that students improved their ability to display the data obtained from the necessary calculations in various chemistry subjects, especially at the end of the activities, in the form of graphs without the help of a teacher.