Biomimetic analysis of design made by middle school students inspired by nature

Biomimicry is a method that argues that nature's design and functionality, which has been perfecting itself for centuries, can be a source of inspiration to produce solutions to people's problems and aesthetic needs. In this context, the concept of biomimicry is a method of problem solving and design inspired by the forms, processes and systems of living things in nature. Middle school visual arts education provides an important platform for students to develop their creativity and aesthetic skills. Visual arts courses provide an important environment for students to gain an aesthetic understanding, teaching different artistic techniques and encourage them to create original works. This research was carried out to investigate how the 7th grade middle school students, who were inspired by nature, produce solutions, guided by the stories created in line with certain themes, and to evaluate their designs from a biomimetic perspective. The research was conducted by using a qualitative research method with a total of 26 seventh grade students in a public middle school in Denizli. The model of the research is a case study and data was collected via interviews and documents. Starting with the pre-evaluation, the students, whose knowledge was measured before the application, were told different, nature-related, problem-oriented stories for 4 weeks in the context of diffrent themes. At the end of these stories, students were asked to make nature-inspired designs that complement the story. At the end of the 4 weeks, their opinions on the subject were taken. A total of 100 images/designs were evaluated. Research results show that the students' knowledge about biomimicry was quite low before this fieldwork application, but they showed a high tendency to be inspired by nature. The data obtained from the designs they made inspired by nature showed that the students were most inspired by animals and produced various creative designs. In the evaluations made after the application, it was clear that the students found the concept of biomimicry interesting and planned to use it in the future. These results show that biomimicry can be used as a tool to encourage creative and innovative thinking in education.