The effects of activities developed based on the REACT strategy on students' academic achievement and life skills

The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of instructional activities developed based on the REACT strategy (Relating, Experiencing, Applying, Cooperating, Transferring) on 8th-grade middle school students' academic achievement and life skills in science education. Derived from the integration of constructivist and contextual learning theories, the REACT strategy represents a holistic instructional model that not only enables students to acquire knowledge, but also to construct meaning through experience and connect it to real-life contexts. In this regard, the study was conducted using a quasi-experimental design with pre-test–post-test control group, one of the quantitative research methods. The study group consisted of 77 students enrolled in a public middle school located in Afyonkarahisar during the fall semester of the 2024–2025 academic year. In the experimental group, instructional activities aligned with the REACT strategy were implemented, while in the control group, the existing curriculum-based activities were maintained. Data were collected through the Science Academic Achievement Test developed by the researcher and the 21st Century Life Skills Scale. The implementation process lasted eight weeks, during which both groups were taught the same learning objectives. In the analysis of data, descriptive statistics were used alongside parametric statistical techniques such as independent samples t-test, paired samples t-test, and MANCOVA. The findings revealed that REACT-based instructional activities led to a statistically significant improvement in students' academic achievement. Moreover, data obtained from the life skills scale indicated meaningful improvements in core competencies such as self-management, collaboration, communication, and problem-solving. The results of the study demonstrate that the REACT strategy is an effective instructional approach that not only enhances cognitive outcomes but also supports students' social-emotional development. In this context, the study provides substantial evidence for the integration of student-centered and context-based instructional strategies in science education and emphasizes the necessity of incorporating such approaches into educational programs. The study concludes with recommendations for future research to examine the long-term effects of the REACT strategy across various disciplines and variables.