Authentic Social Studies Teaching: The Effect of Semantic Geo-media Material on Learning

Abstract

The aim of this research is to produce a teaching material (Bilge Seyyah), which can be used in social studies course, and determine its effect on learning. Bilge Seyyah is a geo-media application, which is created with ADDIE instructional design model. The Bilge Seyyah was developed with new technologies such as the latest software languages and web 3.0. The Bilge Seyyah presented the contents of the social studies course to students with authentic learning approach. It decided the authentic - dynamic contents, tasks and maps itself that will be shown to the students. In order to provide this, the geo-media was semantified. Afterwards, the effect of the Bilge Seyyah on learning was tested. For this, quantitative data were obtained with quasi-experimental model. In this context, the control (n=43) and experiment (n=41) groups were randomly determined among the sixth grade students in the fall term of 2015-2016 educational year. To determine the academic achievements and the permanence in learnings of the students in the groups, the “Turks on the Silk Road Unit Academic Achievement Test”, developed by the researchers, was applied as pre-and post-test on students in the groups. The attitudes of the students towards social studies course were determined with “Attitude Scale towards Social Studies Lesson” scale. The data gathered from the scales were analysed via the independent groups’t-test. The findings indicate that the academic achievements, permanence in learning and attitudes towards social studies course of the students in experimental group were higher than those in control group were. Considering the results of the study, recommendations were given to educators.