Development of a science curriculum for hospital classes: An instructional design study

Students are hospitalized for various illnesses. They stay in the hospital for varying days during the treatment process. In addition to the stress and fear caused by the disease, treatment process, hospitalization, the inability to maintain their routines in their lives increases the anxiety levels of the students. The continuation of education in the hospital is determined by the regulations for the continuity of education during the period of treatment in the hospital. However, hospital classes that will ensure the continuity of these educations in hospitals are not available in all hospitals, or if hospital classes have been established, it has been determined that only primary school students benefit from these classes. Accordingly, the content of the study was determined as middle school students receiving treatment in hospitals and the science lesson. The aim of the study was to design an instructional module for 5th and 8th grade students within the context of a unit in science course; to examine the effect of the design on academic achievement, anxiety towards science lesson and scientific process skills; and to determine the opinions of students and parents about the design. Design-based research method was used in the study. The study group consisted of 5th and 8th grade middle school students receiving treatment in a hospital in the Aegean Region and their parents. Since the module prepared for 8th grade students could not be completed with the defined study group, a student receiving home education in the Mediterranean region and his parent were included in the study. Semi-structured interview forms, observation form, achievement test, "Scientific Process Assessment Test" and "Science Learning Anxiety Scale" were used in the study. Qualitative data collection techniques were employed in observations and interviews, while quantitative data collection techniques were employed in other data collection tools. The instructional design process was carried out and the research started with identifying the problems and examining them theoretically. In line with the examination of the current situation, analyses were made, strategies were determined, the evaluation process was decided and the content was created. For each unit at the 5th and 8th grade level, modules were prepared using the e-learning content creation tool Articulate Storyline 360 and the learning management system Moodle. Due to the nature of instructional design, expert evaluation, one-to-one evaluation and small group evaluation steps were completed. Pilot studies were conducted. The main implementations could not be completed. The research process is presented in 5 sections in order to answer the identified problems and sub-problems. The discussion and results of each problem and sub-problem are discussed under the relevant sections. As a result, it was determined that the designs prepared at both grade levels contributed positively to the academic achievement of the students, but there were also sections that needed to be reconsidered and improved. The designs contributed to the reduction of students' anxiety about learning science. The design prepared for 5th grade contributed moderately to the development of science process skills of the 5th grade student receiving education at the hospital, while the design prepared for 8th grade did not contribute to the development of science process skills of the student receiving education at home.