The effect of project based learning approach in algal biotechnology to the students' academic achievement, attitude and opinions

This study is carried out with the aim of determining the effect of project based learning approach in teaching algal biotechnology on the academic achievements, attitudes and opinions of second class students of high school. In the research, an achievement test is developed to evaluate the students? achievements and an attitude scale is developed in order to evaluate the students? attitude and a opinions survey is developed and applied to evaluate the students? opinions towards algal biotechnology.The research is applied in the first term of 2006-2007 academic year on the students of Private Çağrı Schools in Keçiören District of Ankara. From the groups of samples comprised with the random method, class 10/A is selected as the experiment group and class 10/B is selected as the control group.In this research experimental method is used. Unequal pre test-final test with control group design of experimental search method is used. The research is applied on two unequal numbered groups, one of them is experiment group (n=21) and the other is control group (n=16) so in total 37 students. At experiment group algal biotechnology has been taught for 2 weeks according to project based learning approach. For control group in this period, algal biotechnology is taught according to traditional learning approach.In the research, quantitative study data analysis method is used. Achievement, attitude and opinion scale is applied to the groups that take place in the research as pre test before experimental process and final test after process. In the analysis of available data, `t-test? is used with the aim of showing the differences between the averages. Statistical processes is made at the SPSS 11.0 programme. Whether the available data is meaningful or not is evaluated according to .05 significant levels.At the end of the research, according to the available data, following results are gained: at the teaching algal biotechnology, after experimental process, at the achievement of the students in the experiment group that the project based learning approach is applied on and the students of control group that the traditional learning method is applied on, there is a remarkable difference in favor of experiment group. However, the attitudes and opinions of the students in the experiment group that the project based learning approach is applied on and the students of control group that the traditional learning approach is applied on, there isn?t any remarkable difference about their attitude and opinions against to algal biotechnology.