Active learning practices on the development of students' life skills in life science course

In 21st century, information has become the most important phenomenon, and this era's society is characterized as information society. In the information society, individuals are expected to be able to adapt to the sophisticated economic and social structure, to keep pace with the rapidly changing and improving technology, to get the required information by selecting, analyzing, and evaluating the heaps of information that is produced rapidly, to use the obtained information in their daily life and to transform it into a product. In this context, the function of education is to provide the individuals with these skills, which are called as 21st century skills. In Turkey, with the implementation of the primary school curriculums in 2004, critical thinking, creative thinking, communication, research, problem-solving, decision-making, use of information technology, and entrepreneurship skills have set as the common skills to be emphasized in all courses. These common skills overlap with 21st century skills. These common skills are called as life skills within 3rd grade's Life Science Curriculum. Life skills are the attitudes, knowledge, behaviors and skills that the individual should have in order to be successful in the society. Life skills are the skills used at home, school or different areas of life (work and private life), enabling the individual to overcome the difficulties encountered in complex situations and allowing them to reach their goals. One of the curriculums aiming to give Turkish life skills to the individuals is Life Science Curriculum, which includes self-management skills as the reflection of life skills. Self-management skills are the skills unique to Life Science Curriculum. It is important to give self-management skills to the individuals within the Life Science course. Some active and effective approaches may be implemented to ensure the acquisition of self-management skills. One of these approaches is active learning. The purpose of this research is to determine the effect of active learning practices on the development of self-management skills, which is among the students' life skills. The research has been designed using mixed model where embedded semi-experimental pattern was used. Within the research, Life Science course has been conducted according to active learning method and techniques, which were based on self-management skills. The study has been conducted during the spring semester of 2014-2015 academic years, in a 3rd grade classroom of a primary school located at Eskişehir. Sample of the study consisted of the students, teacher and students' parents of this classroom. Data of the research were collected through self-management skills scale, a questionnaire consisting of an open-ended question, observations, course plans, learning materials and students' products, structured students' journals, audio records and researcher's journal. Self-management skills scale was developed by the researcher. While analyzing the data, t-test was used for quantitative data and descriptive analysis was used for qualitative data. At the end of the research, the following outcomes about the Life Science course that has been conducted using active learning methods and techniques have been obtained: how students run self-management skills; the effectiveness of active learning approach on the self-management skills of the students; students' and teacher's opinions about the development of students' self-management skills; and how students reflect self-management skills to the cases outside schools. These outcomes can be outlined as below: • In Life Science course that has been conducted using active learning methods and techniques, students have run the following self-managements skills: acting ethically, self-awareness and monitoring his/her own personal development, emotion management, responsibility, leadership, enjoyment, learning how to learn, goal setting, career planning, accurate detection of time and space, participation, sharing, cooperation, teamwork and respecting differences. • During the interviews conducted to reveal the opinions of the students about the development of their self-management skills, students stated that they were running self-management skills both in school and in their daily life outside school. In addition, students also stated that they enjoyed Life Science course that has been conducted using active learning methods and techniques and they have developed a positive attitude towards Life Science course. • Class teacher also stated that after in-class practices students have run self-management skills not only in Life Science course, but in the other courses as well. • About the reflection of self-management skills outside school, students' parents stated that their children run self-management skills outside the school, in their home and social life as well. • A significant difference has been observed between pre and post-test scores that test and control group students achieved from self-management skills scale; therefore it has been concluded that active learning approach of Life Science course enhances students' self-management skills. At the end of the paper some suggestions have been submitted to review self-management skills of Life Science course according to the levels of the students and including sample applications about active learning methods and techniques in the curriculum. Keywords: 21st Century Skills, Life Skills, Life Science, Self-Management Skills, Active Learning