The Effect on Gifted Students’ 21st-Century Skills of Supporting Science Teaching with LEGO® Education® BricQ Motion Essential and Student Opinions on this Instruction

Abstract

In many countries, individuals have started to gain 21st-century skills from an early age. In Turkey, the education of gifted students is supported with activities enriched in parallel with these skills in science and art centres. The LEGO® Education® BricQ Motion Essential Set reinforces achievements with hands-on activities in science subjects, while also improving 21st-century skills such as problem solving, critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration. At this point, this study aims to examine the effect of the LEGO® Education® BricQ Motion Essential Set on the 21st-century skills of gifted students in the teaching of the ‘Force and Motion’ unit and to determine the students’ views on the teaching process. The study was carried out in a science and art centre in Konya in the spring term of the 2021–2022 academic year. The sample of the study consisted of 21 gifted students studying in Support-2 programmes (4th grade). An explanatory sequential design was preferred in the study. In the quantitative data collection phase of the study, a one-group pre-test/post-test experimental design was used. Interviews were used for the qualitative data collection phase. The quantitative data of the research were analysed with the SPSS 26 statistical package program. Qualitative data were categorised according to themes and codes in accordance with content analysis. The results of the research showed that the LEGO® Education® BricQ Motion Essential Set was effective for 21st-century learning and the renewal of the skills of the gifted students participating in the research and that the students developed positive opinions about this education set. It is recommended to use LEGO® training sets to develop the 21st-century skills of gifted students.