Scientific research projects in vocational training schools

Abstract

Vocational schools are a resource for many students, with usually low motivation and high learning difficulties. The fact that this type of teaching is of a more practical, experimental, and job oriented type, points to teaching strategies less theoretical and focus on a more practical student involvement. Profiting from those characteristics, the study of the use of scientific projects on vocational teaching was initiated. It was proposed to vocational school students, high-school equivalent students, the development of small science projects in the subjects of physics and chemistry with the final objective of being presented. The difficulty level of the science projects was increased progressively, in a way to be correctly adapted to this type of teaching. Learning gains were evaluated trough questionnaires and tests presented at different stages of the learning process.