The Effects of a Case-Based Learning Approach on the Achievement and Attitudes of Students towards an Occupational Health and Safety Course in Turkey

Abstract

In this study, the effects of case-based learning (CBL) and learning styles on the achievement and attitude of students towards an occupational health and safety (OHS) course are investigated experimentally. A total of 50 students in their first year at the electrical education department at Kocaeli University participated in this research. The students were split into two equal groups according to their scores in the central university entrance exam conducted every year by the high education consul in Turkey. The students were assigned to the control and experimental groups randomly. The control group students processed the OHS course materials using the traditional methods, while the experimental group students processed them through the CBL method in the environments developed by the authors regarding to their learning styles. According to the results of the analysis, the CBL method based on learning styles applied to the experimental group students is significantly effective in increasing students’ success in the OHS course. The findings also show that for OHS training, the CBL method based on learning styles, which has not been applied in previous studies, has a great effect on the students’ performance compared to the traditional teaching methods.