Abstract
The aim of the study was to determine the impact of project-based learning on academic achievements of vocational school of higher education students and to investigate their views on the topic. In the study, a mixed descriptive design where qualitative and quantitative data were both collected and analyzed. The quantitative part was conducted with relational screening method and the qualitative part was conducted with descriptive analysis method. The study group included 13 freshmen students attending the vocational school of higher education, building inspection program in a university located in Eastern Anatolia region in Turkey during the 2016-2017 academic year spring semester and selected with convenience sampling method. The study was conducted during the 14 weeks long period where the related programming course was instructed. In the study, quantitative data were collected with an achievement test that measured the academic achievements of the students in AutoCAD programming course. The qualitative data were collected with a structured interview form designed to collect the student views on the related course. Quantitative data were analyzed with the t-test and the descriptive analysis method was used to analyze the qualitative data. In conclusion, it was determined that project-based learning had a positive impact on academic achievement. Furthermore, students expressed that they achieved meaningful learning as a result of the project-based learning application and the method was adequate for the instruction process, improved their interest in the course and related the content with daily life.
Highlights
In the instruction process, it is known that Turkish education system has been transformed from a teacher-centered learning approach into a student-centered approach during recent years
The study results demonstrated that project-based learning has increased student achievement compared to traditional instruction
The descriptive statistics were conducted on the data obtained from the achievement tests in the quantitative section of the study
Summary
It is known that Turkish education system has been transformed from a teacher-centered learning approach into a student-centered approach during recent years. This led to the prominence of student-centered approaches. One of the most important student-centered approaches is the Project-Based Learning Approach. In this approach, students actively participate directly in the instruction process, interacting directly with learning areas. An educational activity that they directly participate in leads to better comprehension of the topic and the retention of the learned knowledge (Başar, 1992). The products that students construct only by using previous knowledge could not be called projects, but only exercises (Kalaycı, 2008)
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