Challenges and opportunities of creating visual media content as output of project-based research in history classes: Perspectives of students of Nazarbayev intellectual School in Astana

Abstract

The study aimed to analyze the effectiveness of the “conceptual-visual modeling” (CVM) method in creating visual historical media content as the output of project-based research of Middle Years Program students at the Nazarbayev Intellectual School in Astana. The study explores the perspectives of seven 10th graders who participated in the creation of visual historical media content. In this study, research data on the effectiveness of the CVM method and primary data from 182 NIS students on the challenges and opportunities of creating visual media content were collected through the approach of “mixed methods research,” whereby researchers analyze both quantitative and qualitative data using questionnaires, student personal reflections, and teacher observation. This approach allowed for a broad range of student perspectives and a comprehensive understanding of the challenges they face. Findings revealed that both “digital” and “non-digital conceptual-visual modeling” methods were suitable for creating visual historical media content. However, the “non-digital modeling” method was more effective. The reason for this decision was that most students believe that using the “non-digital (traditional) visual modeling” method, compared to the “digital visual modeling” method, provides the opportunity to fully convey the historical concept and the author's idea (message) to the reader (target audience). The following study’s novelty lies in its focus on integrating the “CVM” method into pedagogy and demonstrating the advantages of the method for effectively engaging students in the creation of visual historical media content. The method was chosen and adapted to meet the requirements of a normally non-quantitative discipline, such as history.