The Effect of Active Learning Methods on Middle School Students’ Entrepreneurship Skills in Social Studies Course

Abstract

This research aimed to determine the effect of active learning methods on middle school students' entrepreneurship skills in social studies lessons. A mixed method experimental design was adopted in the research. The research study group consisted of 59 middle school students, 29 of whom were in the experimental group and 30 in the control group. A multilevel mixed-method sampling strategy was used to determine the study group. In the research, Entrepreneurship Scale for Middle School Students, semi-structured interviews, anecdotal records, and a checklist were used as data collection tools. In order to determine the effectiveness of active learning methods, one-way covariance analysis, in which the pre-test scores were determined as the covariate, was employed between the post-test scores of the experimental and control groups. The inductive analysis approach was adopted in the analysis of qualitative data. It was found that the active learning methods had a significant and positive effect on the experimental group. The students stated that the active learning methods applied in the social studies lessons contributed to developing their entrepreneurial skills, establishing a competitive environment among the students and the group work opportunity. Furthermore, the students found active learning methods fun and instructive, increasing participation and motivation for the lesson.