Abstract:

Teachers use a variety of methods and forms of work to make lessons more varied and effective for students at all grade levels, especially in primary school. Conducting experiments in the classroom is always a special experience for students, as lessons are conducted in a different, more active way. Teachers can observe the enthusiasm of students when conducting experiments, but at the same time, the question arises as to how much students can benefit from such forms of learning. In order to make the learning process as effective as possible, we want students not only to enjoy the experiments but also to develop their knowledge and skills as much as possible.

Therefore, we conducted the study with the aim of finding out how different forms of independent experimental work affect the knowledge and skills of 4th grade primary school students (students aged 9-10 years) prescribed in the curricula of the school subject Science and Technology. Sixty-one 4th grade primary school students participated in the study. Data were collected through knowledge tests (pre and post), questionnaires and individual observation of selected students. The learning contents covered the areas of light, electricity and magnetism.

The results of the study show that the students have a positive attitude towards science lessons and that the learning method of independent experimental work has a significant impact on the development of students' knowledge, i.e. the group learning method proved to be the least successful compared to the students who carried out the experimental work independently. There are no statistically significant differences between the students who performed the independent experimental work with different learning methods in terms of the sustainability of their knowledge and newly acquired skills, nor are there statistically significant differences in the students' self-assessment of their activities. When assessing the popularity of each experimental method, students generally indicated that they enjoyed conducting experiments in pairs the most. Results on students' knowledge development and sustainability, where differences were not statistically significant, also seemed to favour working in pairs. In addition, choosing an appropriate method for experimental work in pairs provides an enjoyable environment for students as well as an effective environment for learning and acquiring new skills. Although the results of the study cannot be generalised to the population due to the small sample of students, the study provides a solid foundation for further research.

Keywords:

Experimental work, knowledge, primary school, science and technology, skills.