The effect of project based learning approach to the students? achievements, attitudes and opinions in social studies teaching

The aim of this research is to determine whether the project based learning approach is effective on students? academic achievements, attitudes towards the Social Studies lesson and their opinions about the process in teaching ?Our Country and the World? learning unit in Social Studies lesson. The attendants of the research are the students of 6/B (experimental group) and 6/A (control group) classes in Demirlibahçe Primary School in Mamak district of Ankara province during the spring semester of 2010-2011 educational year.Mixed research model which enables both quantitative and qualitative methods was applied in this research. The quantitative dimension of the study consisted of 2x2 pre-test post-test control group design. ?Our Country and the World? learning unit was taught by conducting Project based learning approach ? in experimental group and the same learning unit was taught by using the approach which Social Studies curriculum requires.?Student Project Guide?, ?Group Project Guide? and ?Teacher Project Guide? was compiled from other similar researches in order to help students out during project works. The research was conducted at the time when ?Our Country and the World? learning unit was planned according to ?Social Studies Curriculum Annual Plan? and two-week time was spent to collect data by pre-test, post-test and interview.?Personal Information Form? and ?Grasha-Reichmann Learning Styles Scale? were used in the process of comprising project study groups. ?Academic Achievement Test? and ?Attitude Scale towards the Social Studies Course? were applied as pre-test and post-test. The data gathered was analyzed by using SPSS 18.0 statistical package program. Statistical significance level was determined as 0,05. According to the findings of quantitative dimension of the research, it is concluded that project based learning approach is not effective in enhancing students achievements but effective in students attitudes towards Social Studies course.?Student Interview Form? and ?Parent Interview Form? were used to collect students? and parents? opinions about the application process in the qualitative dimension of the research. Experiential group students (10 students) and the parents (10 parents) whom with the interviews done were chosen by the maximum diversity sampling method. According to the findings of qualitative dimension of the research, it is concluded that experiential group students and parents produced positive ideas about project works.Recommendations for the implementers to take into consideration about applying project based learning approach and to researchers for further research were given at the end of this study.