Abstract:
The Mangistau region of Kazakhstan is rich in cultural
heritage and is characterized by various toponyms reflecting its
multifaceted history. In the context of the Mangistau region,
incorporating the cultural and historical context into the program
helps students form a deeper connection with the region and its
tangible and intangible heritage. By learning historical place
names and their etymological origins, students gain insights into
the history and cultural development of the region. This study
investigates the teaching of etymological analysis of historical
toponyms of the Mangistau region through project-based teaching
and its impact on student’s attitudes toward history and interest in
historical and cultural values. The study employed a quasiexperimental design based on quantitative research methods.
According to this design, pre-test results were used to divide the
groups into experimental and control groups. The participants
comprised 61 students (Experimental group n=31; Control group
n=30) studying in the 2nd grade of a high school in Almaty,
Kazakhstan, in the 2023-2024 academic year. The experimental
group was taught project-based learning activities for six weeks,
while the control group was taught historical toponyms and
etymological analysis of the Mangistau Region using traditional
teaching methods and techniques. The Attitudes Toward Historical
and Toponymy Subjects Scale and the Interest in Historical and
Cultural Values Scale were used as data collection instruments.
The pre-test and post-test results of the experimental and control
groups were analyzed using the Independent Samples t-test technique. The analysis revealed that the students in the
experimental group demonstrated significantly higher mean scores
in the post-test compared to the control group. The findings
indicated that teaching with a project-based learning approach on
historical toponyms and etymological analysis of the Mangistau
region increased students’ interest in and attitudes toward
historical and cultural values.
