An examination of the implementation process of science integrated robotic coding activities with gifted students

Every individual is born with different characteristics. These characteristics determine many aspects of individuals, even shaping their learning. One of the most prominent of these characteristics is giftedness. It is generally known that gifted students exhibit advanced learning performance compared to their peers. Therefore, gifted students often come to the school environment with skill sets that are either already evident or waiting to be discovered beyond their peers. In Türkiye, children identified as gifted continue their education in their regular schools and attend Science and Art Centers for extensive training during their after-school hours. Teachers exhibit different experiences in determining what to do to support the development of these gifted students, especially by using interdisciplinary approaches and differentiated educational strategies to continue classroom instruction. In literature related to gifted students' science achievements, robotic technologies, and interdisciplinary approaches databases such as TR Dizin, YÖK Tez, ERIC, etc., it was found that there are limited studies on the use of robotic technologies to support gifted students in science classes. It was concluded that using robotic technologies, interdisciplinary and context-based educational approaches can positively affect classroom instruction for gifted students to have better science grades. In this research, the use of robotic technologies and differentiated educational strategies in reaching better academic achievement of gifted students in science programs has been associated with enriching the learning process. In this way, the general state of robotic activities that take an interdisciplinary approach involving multiple skill sets and fields related to gifted students has been evaluated. It has been recognized that activities containing practical skills and experiential learning are essential for achieving permanent learning and skill acquisition. Robotic activities designed for permanent learning and skill acquisition have been structured according to the interests and skill sets of the students. Objectives suitable for robotic technologies were determined after scanning the Science Curriculum, and robotic activities were developed by associating them with units and subject domains. Observation and focus group interview questions were used in the study. Expert opinions were obtained when preparing observation and focus group interview questions, and relevant revisions were made. The researcher's journal supported the data, and student products were included in the data analysis following the focus group interviews. The data were evaluated through content analysis. Focus group interviews were conducted with twelve gifted students. The application process lasted six weeks and was implemented in a Science and Art Center. Information was provided to the participating students about the process, and the student's opinions about the activities were gathered through focus group interviews. The interviews were conducted in 6-member groups at the end of each activity set. The teachers filled out observation forms separately for each student throughout the training. Focus group interviews were conducted at the end of each activity set to evaluate the activities' general process and effectiveness. It was understood in the research that students are more interested in educational content covering interdisciplinary areas, enriched and differentiated methods generally increase participation in the class; group work discipline is more conveniently granted, they can come up with different solutions to problems, they can relate problem situations to daily life context and offer solutions, robotic teaching materials contribute positively to the teaching and learning process. Success can be further improved by including different skill areas, such as robotics, in the process. Therefore, the use of interdisciplinary approaches in classroom instruction could facilitate reaching the objectives more conveniently in the Science Curriculum within the scope of this study.