Research Article

From science-fiction to reality: Developing research skills of secondary school students with film analysis methods

Burcu Uysal Atalay 1 * , Saadet Deniz Korkmaz 2 , Güzin Çelik 1
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1 Department of Science Education, Institute of Education, Eskişehir Osmangazi University, Eskişehir, TURKEY2 Department of Mathematics and Science Education, Eskişehir Osmangazi University, Eskişehir, TURKEY* Corresponding Author
Journal of Digital Educational Technology, 6(1), April 2026, ep2603, https://doi.org/10.30935/jdet/17492
Submitted: 10 January 2025, Published: 03 December 2025
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ABSTRACT

The study, carried out as part of an eTwinning project, aims to develop eighth grade students’ research skills using the film analysis method. The study also investigated the effect of the method on the astronomy interest and achievement of 8th grade middle school students. The students were shown Armageddon (1998), a science fiction movie, and were asked to research projects designed as solutions to extraterrestrial threats in real life. Students who reached the demonstration of autonomous rendezvous technology (DART) project through research were asked to prepare a presentation and to present it to their classmates. The study group consisted of students from five different provinces. The method of the research is a weak experimental design since the results of the activities carried out with the students within the scope of the experimental design are interpreted and there is no control group. As the data collection method of the study, a mixed method including both quantitative and qualitative data was determined. In order to collect quantitative data, “solar system and beyond achievement test” and “scale of interest in astronomy” were applied as pre- and post-test. In the qualitative part of the study, open-ended questions prepared by the researchers were used as data collection tools. As a result of the research, it was found that students’ interest in astronomy changed and developed positively by watching and analyzing movies, brainstorming, creating a sense of curiosity, encouraging research and other activities within the scope of the eTwinning project.
Keywords: DART project, science-fiction films, science education, eTwinning

CITATION (APA)

Uysal Atalay, B., Korkmaz, S. D., & Çelik, G. (2026). From science-fiction to reality: Developing research skills of secondary school students with film analysis methods. Journal of Digital Educational Technology, 6(1), ep2603. https://doi.org/10.30935/jdet/17492

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