Abstract:

The aim of the study is to encourage young people to think, observe, wonder, research, and solve the problems they may encounter in the future. The aim of the TUBITAK High School Student Research Projects is to determine the impact of students on their levels of self-confidence. This type of study has been carried out on 229 students studying at the professional high school in Kayseri in the 2020-2021 educational year and 227 students participating at the minimum regional exhibition level in the TUBITAK High School Students Research Projects Competition in the last 3 years from other high schools. In the study, the survey form and the "Self-Confidence Scale" were used as a data collection tool containing information about the socio-demographic and cultural characteristics of students. In the statistical analysis of data, the student t test, the variance analysis were applied, the Pearson correlation ratio was used in the assessment of the relationship between the variants. The socio-demographic variables of the students who participated in the study were given as a percentage compared to the students who participated in the research projects and who did not show. Students who participate in research projects have a higher level of self-confidence compared to those who do not significantly participate. It has been found that students’ self-confidence scores differ significantly according to gender, class level, school type, income level, family attitude, parent status and education level.

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