effects of project based learning of the “solar system and beyond: space puzzle” unit on student achievement

The purpose of the study is to determine the impact of project-based learning of the “Solar System and Beyond: Space Puzzle” unit in Science and Technology course on student achievement. For this reason, with an experimental and a control group, quasi-experimental pre-test - post-test control group design was used. The study group of the research was composed of a total of 53 seventh graders, 26 of whom were in the experimental group and 27 of whom were in the control group, who were studying at a primary school in Buca, İzmir. During the experimental process that lasted in four weeks, the courses were taught via project-based learning in the experimental group, and via the 2005 Science and Technology curriculum in the control group. As a data collection tool, “Solar System and Beyond: Space Puzzle Academic Achievement Test” developed by the researcher, whose KR-20 test measurement reliability co-efficient was found to be 0.93, was used in the study. The data collection tool was administered to students in both groups before and after the experimental process. SPPS 17 program was used to analyze the data. Independent and related-samples t tests were used to analzye the data. As a result of the study, academic achievement of students in the experimental and control groups regarding the unit was found to be significantly different in favor of the experimental group. It is thought that the present study will lead further studies on this issue.