MOTIVATING WEAK SECONDARY VOCATIONAL SCHOOL STUDENTS THROUGH PARTICIPATING WITH SCIENTIFIC PROJECTS IN A STUDENTS CONFERENCE

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1 MOTIVATING WEAK SECONDARY VOCATIONAL SCHOOL STUDENTS THROUGH PARTICIPATING WITH SCIENTIFIC PROJECTS IN A STUDENTS CONFERENCE Anthoula Maidou 1 and Hariton M. Polatoglou th EPAL of Thessaloniki, Greece 2 Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece Abstract: The scope of this paper is to explore ways of motivating weak secondary vocational school students to participate in the educational process of technical subjects. Secondary vocational school students are in average much weaker students than the students of general schools, exhibiting great difficulties in subjects like mathematics and physics, and also in the use of language. As a consequence, they have a much lower self-esteem than general secondary school students. On the contrary, these students are well skilled in the use of laboratory equipment, taking measurements and constructing components for devices. A way to motivate students to participate in the educational process is to introduce a scientific project, on which the students can work parallel to the formal educational subject. Such a scientific project is free from the constrains of the curriculum, students can show their abilities, and learn how to apply the scientific method. The results from the introduction of two such projects in two classes showed that such an approximation can enhance their self-esteem and lead to a positive attitude of the students towards technical subjects, which they initially considered as being too difficult for them. Keywords: secondary vocational students, motivation, scientific project, scientific method, students conference BACKGROUND AND FRAMEWORK Vocational school students are in average much weaker students then general secondary school students (Piirto & Fraas, 2012). Many of them come to the vocational schools having a low self-esteem (Van Houtte, Demanet, & Stevens, 2012) mainly in Sciences and Mathematics. In order for them to obtain specialization in a technical subject (either in a constructional, mechanical or machinery specialization) they need to take courses in Physics, and many technical subjects like Applied Mechanics - Strength of Materials. Most of these subjects have difficult text books, with many mathematical equations and little reference to everyday life experiences. Since most of the students have gaps in Mathematics and some in Language (many of them are immigrants), it is very difficult for them to keep up with the subjects and as a consequence they stop showing interest and abstain from the learning activities. In subjects which consist of theoretical and laboratory parts, these students show a much better performance in the laboratory part. Many students are skilled in taking measurements, using the laboratory equipment and in constructing components for devices. Some have also working experience, since they take evening jobs to earn their pocket money, or in some cases, add to the family income.

2 Subjects like Applied Mechanics - Strength of Materials are considered amongst the most difficult subjects, since it is taught only theoretically. Lessons are normally delivered only in the classroom and in the chalk and blackboard fashion. The inquirybased method (Kirschner, Sweller & Clark, 2006; Hmelo-Silver, Duncan & Chinn, 2007; and references therein) which is much more appropriate cannot be utilized. One way to avoid all these difficulties is to include in the teaching process another process, in the form of a relevant project, which works in a way to motivate students to be interested and take part in the course. Unlike formal education, such a project is free from the constraints of the curriculum; one can set the method, the content, the competences (Bowers, 2006) and the skills to be developed through it. It could be used as a vehicle to introduce the scientific method, to study complex problems related to the everyday life of the student and help with the relations among students, if a group cooperative approach is applied. RATIONALE School/university collaborations have shown positive results through the application of alternative teaching strategies to motivate especially weak students to exhibit higher levels of engagement, interest, and confidence (Teel, Debruin-Parecki, & Covington, 1998). Such collaborations result in significant increases of the students' interest in science and significant improvements in their problem-solving skills (Paris, Yambor, & Packard, 1998), and substantial progress in student achievement scores in mathematics and science (Calabrese, 2006). Furthermore the application of an inquiry based teaching method would be appropriate to help the students develop competencies and skill, and also a positive attitude towards technology and sciences. Motivating weak students to participate is a problem regarding all educational levels. Student motivation and engagement in courses is a well-known problem and challenge in higher education (Ganah, 2012), particularly in technical subjects (Gold, 2010: p 10). It is also problem in middle-schools (Teel et al., 1998; Guthrie & Davis, 2003). A students conference is an excellent means to address research issues, technical writing and presentation skills (Börstler & Johansson, 1998). As a teacher of the course Applied Mechanics Strength of Materials, and in collaboration with a member of the Physics Department of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, we tried to encourage and motivate the students of two classes from the second class of a vocational lyceum to participate in a students conference during the school year The work was on a scientific project in order to show them that they can accomplish high quality work, when they apply the scientific method in combination with their skills in the use of workshop equipment and measuring instruments. The main goal was that through this process they would develop experimental skills and competencies in communication, both oral and written, the ability to find information online and to use this information for the project. Also, it would help them design and perform experiments, compare their results with findings from scientists and draw results from these findings.

3 METHOD On an initial discussion about the subject Applied Mechanics Strength of Materials, students of both classes characterized the subject as very difficult. Their attitude towards the course was mainly negative, because they believed that this knowledge is useless for their professional or personal lives. They expressed the belief that they will never be requested to calculate stress actors, moments, reactions developed at the mounting etc. The only students who tried to join the course actively were those few who were interested in studying in higher education, because the course "Machine Elements", taught in third grade is based on this course. So this is a course that is considered difficult, with no interest for the most students and for this reason, they were bored, dealt with other things, or made a fuss. Their attitude to the course was generally negative. Trying to change this situation, we collaborated with a member of the Physics Department of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. We decided to work with 2 second classes of a vocational lyceum in Thessaloniki on a parallel project, a different one for each class. The aim of these projects was to introduce the students to the scientific method (figure 1). The procedure to be followed should be the formulation of questions on the specific topic, to do some background research in order for the students to find out about the current state of the topic, and then to construct a hypothesis and test it with an experiment. The next steps were the analysis of the results and drawing conclusions in order to check the hypothesis. If the hypothesis was true they should report the results and finish the research process. Otherwise, if the hypothesis was not true, or partially true, also report the results, but restart the process at the formulation of the hypothesis and continue through all the steps to check again, if the new hypothesis is true. Figure 1. The scientific method Furthermore, in order to enhance their self-esteem, we encouraged the students to use an experimental procedure which included non-trivial measurements and the application of metrological principles in order to lower the uncertainty. In addition we persuaded them to present the collected data, to make graphs, and to draw conclusions from the graphs.

4 We encouraged the students to take part in a students conference, and therefore prepare posters of their work and present it as equals among students from other Greek High Schools as well as from abroad. Below we will present the projects shortly, the procedures followed to complete the work and the outcomes. RESULTS The project on hardness Hardness is a characteristic property of materials. It has large variations, ranging from very soft materials, such as talc, to very hard materials such as diamond. Hardness is a very important property for both the construction and the manufacturing sector, because it determines the wear resistance of the surfaces and determines the potential use of a material as a tool, for example to cut various kinds of materials, such as textiles or hard stones. Another process associated with hardness is the polishing of precious or semi-precious stones, mirrors, lenses, etc. The measurement of the hardness of materials gives reliable data on incoming raw materials, intermediates and finished products and contributes to the quality control and quality assurance. Hardness of a material is defined as the resistance which a material exhibits to the penetration of a foreign object, that is pressed on the material s surface with a certain force and for a certain time (Gilman, 2009). The body which is attempting to penetrate the material under test is called indenter. The operating principle of most of the hardness measurements is based on the measurement of the dimensions of the footprint created by the indenter. If this footprint is small, the material resists penetration, and thus is hard, while a larger fingerprint means less resistance and hence lower hardness. It is a curious property because it is the outcome of a specified measurement procedure and not an intrinsic property that can be defined by the basic units of the system SI. It should be added that the indenters can have a conical shape, triangular or square pyramidal (Sakharova et al, 2004; Gilman, 2009), or spherical form (Lykidis, 2011; NPL, Brinell, 2007). During the course of Applied Mechanics Strength of Materials we analyzed and classified various types of wood and wood products in terms of hardness and investigated the effect of moisture on the hardness of wood. Wood is a very important material, which is widely used. The material is eco -friendly to users and the environment, but it has the disadvantage of changing its properties with moisture. Figure 2. Various types of wood used for the measurement of hardness.

5 The procedure followed was: to measure the hardness of various woods and wood products we used small pieces of wood, such as Swedish pine, pine, beech and boiled beech, oak and lacquered oak, wild hazel, and wood products such as particleboard, melamine, plywood and hardboard, which are shown in Figure 2. For an indenter we used a tool, Figure 3, which has a conical tip and exerts constant force due to an embedded spring, and which releases the tip, when pressed with a certain force. Figure 3. The tool we used for the indenter The first series of measurements were taken with the wood pieces at room conditions, while the second after putting them in a bowl with water, where we left them to absorb water for 1 hour. For each wood we made 4 incisions and measured the depth and the diameter of the indenter imprinted into the wood (figure 3). Then we took the statistical averages for the diameter and depth. The values are presented in Table 1. We measured the diameter of the footprint and the depth of the different types of wood and wood products using calipers, see Figure 4. To measure the depth we used wooden toothpicks, which immersed into the footprint. With the help of a cutter we marked the depth on the toothpick and then measured the depth on the toothpick, Figure 5, since the tip of the caliper is cylindrical and could not be used to directly measure the depth. We repeated the whole process with the moistened woods. Figure 4: The indentation process.

6 Figure 5. Measuring the diameter of the footprint the indenter left on the wood surface. Figure 6. Measuring the depth of the indenter s footprint. Table 1 Woods and wood products in normal conditions and with moistened woods dry moistened depth(mm) diameter (mm) depth (mm) diameter (mm) chipboard Swedish pine pine pitch pine hardboard beech oak lacquered plywood wild hazel boiled beech melamine oak

7 Table 2 Hardness of wood and wood products. wood hardness dry wood (MPa) values from literature (MPa) hardness moistened wood (MPa) chipboard plywood melamine hardboard Swedish pine pine pitch pine beech beech boiled wild hazel oak oak lacquered Note: The data in the third column are from Koroneos & Poulakos, 2006, p. 63. We will not present all the measurements, calculation of pressure, analysis and conclusions here, because of lack of space just some interesting results. From the measurements of hardness of table 2, we can observe that the greatest hardness occurs for particleboard and melamine, followed by the boiled beech. Impressive is that comparing our results with results from the literature (Koronaios & Poulakos, 2006) we found a very good agreement with their results for oak, beech and pine. This was very impressive, since we had no specific equipment to measure hardness. The paper airplanes Models of airplanes and flying machines, which are either operated remotely using remote control, or by using built-in automatic navigation systems, have broad scientific applications. Some applications include monitoring of environmental pollution, supervision an area for monitoring wildlife, for fire control, for mapping, for security testing pipes and fittings, for monitoring the safety of residential areas, for patrolling the roads, etc. Another application is for dangerous missions, without risking human lives, such as the study of a tornado, or to study areas with extreme weather conditions, such as the exploration of the Antarctica ( Unmanned aerial vehicle, 2012) or to observe the behavior of animals (Kight, 2011), but also for space applications (ABC News, 2012). Paper model airplanes can be used to study the principles of aeronautics. In 2006 aeronautical students of the University of Michigan and members of the AIAA (American Institute of Astronautics and Aeronautics) participated in a competition to construct paper airplanes made from one sheet of paper, without allowing cutting or addition of paper - only folding (Fiala, 2006). Even at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) constructing paper airplanes is considered important, since they have published a brochure with building instructions for paper airplanes ( Paper

8 Airplanes, 2010). Also Dr. Yasuaki Ninomiya, Ph.D. engineer attaches great importance to engaging with paper airplanes and despite his scientific work in NNT laboratories, he publishes for over 31 years paper model airplanes in teen magazines (Sony, Paper Airplanes). A few years ago the journal Scientific American organized a paper airplane contest for which they received 12,000 entries, with many participants from academics, engineers and scientists from 29 countries (Locke, 2008). The aim of this work is the study of the parameters which influence the flying ability of paper airplanes. For that reason we constructed several paper airplanes from A4 pages. We measured and recorded their characteristics, as length, wing span, if it is tailless or has a tail wing, etc, in order to find out which models have the ability to fly a longer distance and which models can stay in air for a longer time. We recorded each flight on video. Table 3 Pictures of the paper airplanes, and presentation of their characteristics (length, wing span, average flight distance, and qualitative flight description. Pictures length (cm) width (cm) length/ width average flight distance (m) qualitative flight description gained height quickly, remained long in the air, loops very short flight, remained shortly in the air upwards route, linear flight, stayed for a long time in the air, made loops

9 did not gain height, could not keep long in the air linear flight linear flight, very good flying ability, long distance turning right or left during the flight linear and quick flight, long distance We observed that model 3 and model 6 had the best performances. Model 3 maintained longer in the air and made a loop, while model 6 flew the longest distance, although the flight was short in duration. Characteristics similar to model 3 exhibited model 1, and models 6 to 8. Model 1 and 3 have an approximately equal wingspan and length. Model 6 and 8 have the largest ratio length / width, i.e. long length and narrow wingspan. The worst flying behavior was observed for models 4 and 2, which covered a short distance and stayed very little in the air. Results of the inclusion of the projects in the teaching process When trying to introduce the project into the lessons most students were against it. Only very few wanted to take part with enthusiasm from the beginning. They said that it is unnecessary, useless and a loss of time, but when they saw the equipment and

10 they were introduced to the process, they started to show an interest in taking part. The cooperation with a university faculty member, the application of the scientific method, taking measurements, analysis of the data, and the presentation of the work they had done in a students conference got the most students interested in the project. They were introduced to the research process by searching for the bibliography, and tried to describe their work using scientific tools. The outcomes were the two posters presented in figure 7. A B Figure 7. The poster presentation A) on the hardness of wood and B) on paper airplanes. During the conference they compared their work with the other students work. They concluded that their work was very good, and they also got very positive comments from other teachers, reviewers of the works and visitors, and also from the other participating peers. They presented their work, and were very proud to be part of this event (figure 8). A B C D Figure 8. At the students conference. A) and B) the oral presentation C) and D) students at the conference

11 DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION In order to motivate students of a vocational upper secondary school to participate in the course Applied Mechanics Strength of Materials we introduced a scientific project parallel to the formal course. Although most of the students had a negative attitude at the beginning of the work and called it unnecessary, since it was not part of the curriculum only very few took part with enthusiasm from the start they became interested during the process. Finally, they were really proud of their work and of themselves at the end of the work. During a second discussion with the students after the completion of the projects and the presentation at the students conference, they showed a completely different attitude towards technical subjects and towards the course Applied Mechanics Strength of Materials. Their self-esteem was much higher and they felt they could do better than in the beginning. Many of the students even asked to take part again with a new project during the next school year, volunteering to stay longer after school in order to complete it. All this, plus their better grades in the course due to their positive attitude, proved that this school/university collaboration on a parallel project, with the help of which we introduced the scientific method, inquiry based teaching and group collaborative work in the classroom, motivated the students to take part in the teaching process. REFERENCES ABC News, Paper Airplane Launched to Edge of Space. Retrieved January 4, 2012 from Börstler, J., & Johansson, O. (1998). The Students Conference-A Tool for the Teaching of Research, Writing, and Presentation Skills. ITiCSE 98, Dublin Ireland, Conference Proceedings, Calabrese, R.L. (2006). Building social capital through the use of an appreciative inquiry theoretical perspective in a school and university partnership. International Journal of Educational Management, 20(3), Fiala J. (2006), Flight test engineers organize, enter paper airplane competition, CEAS e-news, 1 (10). Retrieved January 5, 2012 from % %20SFTE%20Paper%20Airplanes.pdf. Ganah, A. (2012). Motivating weak students: A critical discussion and reflection. Education, 133(2), Gilman J. J. (2009), Chemistry and Physics of Material Hardness, New Jersey: Wiley. Gold, N. (2010). Motivating Students in Software Engineering Group Projects: an Experience Report, ITALICS, 9(1), Guthrie, J.T., & Davis, M.H. (2003). Motivating struggling readers in middle school through an engagement model of classroom practice. Reading & Writing Quarterly, 19,

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