The effect of educational activities developed according to the react strategy for the 6th grade "Systems in the Body and Their Health" on academic success and life skills

The purpose of this study was to evaluate how the REACT-based activities for the sixth-grade science curriculum's " Systems in Our Body and Health" unit affected students' academic performance, their ability to apply science to everyday life, and their life skills. Throughout the 2018–2019 academic year, the activities created in accordance with the REACT approach during the research process were implemented by the experimental group in a secondary school in Amasya. The descriptive mixed research methodology was used to conduct the study. The "Systems in Our Body and Health Achievement Test" created by the researchers for the pertinent quantitative phase of the research served as data gathering tools for the qualitative phase. The "Systems in Our Body and Health Achievement Test" created by the researchers for the relevant unit, the "Adaptation to Daily Life Test," and the "21st Century Learning and Innovation Scale" created by Boyacı and Atalay (2016) were used as data collection instruments in the quantitative phase of the research. Pre-test, post-test, and retention tests were used as data collection techniques on the experimental and control groups, and the resulting data were then analyzed using the proper program. The answers supplied by the students to the accomplishment test and the daily life test were studied in detail to explain the quantitative data gathered in the research, and semi-structured interviews with the teachers and students were done for the highlighted qualitative issues. The descriptive analysis method was used to examine the information from the interviews. Students' academic progress and the degree to which they could apply science principles to everyday life were both greatly aided by the REACT strategy activities that were created. 21st century activities for students although it had little impact on students' life skills, it was effective in helping them improve their communication skills. Although the REACT strategy's activities guaranteed students' long-term academic achievement, they had little impact on how much science concepts were integrated into daily life. Considering the science principles covered in the course material, it is advised to spend more time having conversations with students about the problems they encounter on a daily basis.