Enhancing Engineering Design Skills of Gifted Middle School Students through Enriched Science Module Series

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the effects of an enriched module series prepared for gifted middle school students on the development of engineering design skills. In this context, a module series consisting of twenty activities was prepared. The module series was applied in a science course and the effect of the application on the engineering design skills of the students was analyzed, verified and explained. The study used an embedded quasi-experimental mixed design. The research group consisted of 69 gifted middle school students studying at a Science and Art Center (SAC) in Turkey. The application lasted for 18 weeks, 2 hours per week. Quantitative data were collected with the engineering design process skills scale. Qualitative data were collected with interview forms and student reports. Quantitative data were analyzed with ANCOVA and qualitative data were analyzed with descriptive analysis and content analysis. Quantitative results showed that the enriched module series had a positive effect on the engineering design skills of the students. The collected qualitative data showed that the application contributed especially in terms of identifying the problem, determining the needs and limitations, scanning the literature, producing solution proposals, planning the design process, designing, testing the design, redesigning and reporting.