The effectiveness of using context-based and project-based methods in inclusive biology teaching

Abstract

This study investigates the effectiveness of employing context-based and project-based methods in inclusive biology education, focusing on the outcomes of contextual learning tasks for eighth-grade students at M. Gandhi Specialized Lyceum No. 92. The research evaluates the performance of inclusive children on tasks related to the topic “Structure and hygiene of the organ of vision” taken from the biology textbook. Results indicate that the traditional textbook approach yielded low levels of task completion among inclusive children, suggesting that the content complexity posed challenges. Conversely, when presented with simplified, easily understandable texts, inclusive children demonstrated significantly higher proficiency levels in addressing the same topic. Additionally, the study extends its analysis to include the results of contextual teaching tasks for inclusive children from the eighth-grade class at School No. 15, where 20 students participated, including individuals with ADHD, mild autism, and isolation. Among these students, varying levels of performance were observed across tasks. Specifically, in the first task aligned with the textbook, five students scored low, eleven scored average, and four scored high. However, when presented with the second task featuring simplified text, performance improved, with one student scoring low, twelve scoring average, and seven scoring high. These findings underscore the potential benefits of utilizing context-based and project-based methodologies in inclusive biology education, particularly in enhancing comprehension and engagement among students with diverse learning needs.