SOCIAL SCIENCES TEACHERS' VIEWS ON OUT-OF-CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENTS
SOSYAL BİLGİLER ÖĞRETMENLERİNİN SINIF DIŞI OKUL ORTAMLARINA İLİŞKİN GÖRÜŞLERİ

Author : Osman ÇEPNİ -- Fatih AYDIN
Number of pages : 317-335

Abstract

Non-classroom learning is an approach that provides students with concrete experiences to make sense of the society, the nature and the world in which they dwell. Non-classroom learning activities generally used in environment education is of critical importance for social studies aiming at educating students as an active member of the society. The purpose of this study was to determine the views of social studies teachers on non-classroom environments in social studies. A total of 38 social studies teachers employed in schools located in the central district of Kastamonu participated in this study which was designed in qualitative research method. Data of the study was gathered through semi-structured interviews and analyzed via descriptive analysis. Results of the study revealed that social studies teachers most often mentioned about museums, historical places, natural areas, and nongovernmental institutions as non-classroom environments to be used for educational purposes. Social studies teachers pointed out that non-classroom environments may contribute well to teaching social studies. Teachers stated that these environments enabled learning through experience, fostered effective student learning and concretizing the knowledge. Participants teachers thought that the scarcity of classroom hours, financial difficulties, excessive amount of procedures, and intensity of curriculum were among the problems which prevented using non-classroom environments. Social studies teachers recommended that social studies classroom hours be increased and that Ministry of National Education give more financial support and that the density of the curriculum be decreased to make effective use of non-classroom environments in social studies teaching.

Keywords

Social Studies, Non-Classroom Learning, Social Studies Teaching, Social Studies Teacher

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