Investigation of scientific process skills among students at science and arts centers: The example of Denizli province

This study aims to assess the scientific process skills of 6th, 7th, and 8th-grade students enrolled in the Science and Art Centers in Denizli, focusing on variables such as gender, grade level, school type, parental education and occupation, previous courses on scientific process skills, and technology use. A causal-comparative design was employed, targeting the entire population without sampling, and reaching a total of 222 students (126 females and 96 males). Cross-sectional data collection was used to capture the characteristics at a specific point in time. Data were collected using the Scientific Process Skills Scale and a Personal Information Form. The Shapiro-Wilk test assessed normality, while the Mann-Whitney U test and Kruskal-Wallis test analyzed sub-problems and skill levels. Results indicated that gifted students exhibited higher levels of scientific process skills compared to other middle school students. No significant differences were found based on gender and maternal education levels, while differences were observed concerning grade levels, school type, paternal education, and parental occupations. Participation in courses such as robotics, chess, and scientific research techniques did not affect skill levels, whereas students who attended STEM and innovation courses scored higher. Furthermore, students with prior project experience and those with access to a computer demonstrated superior skills, while those using technology and the internet for less than 2 hours daily showed higher performance.