A Phenomenographic Study on Views About Entertaining and Boring Situations in Learning Process

Abstract

In the learning process, it is accepted that learning with entertainment is important in participation in the process and retention of learning. Thus, the aim of the present study was to investigate the views of students and teachers on entertaining and boring settings in the learning process. Phenomenography method was used in the study. The study group included fourth grade teachers and students in public and private schools in Adiyaman province central district in Turkey. In this context, seven schools, four private and three public schools, were selected among the schools, where students of the parents with different socio-economic background attended, with purposive sampling method. A total of 10 primary school 4th grade teachers employed these schools participated in the study on a voluntary basis. The study group included 80 students. Individual and focus group interview and photointerviewing techniques were used in data collection Data were analyzed with content analysis method. In the study, it was concluded that teachers and students liked similar class settings and both teachers and students liked classrooms that were furnished with sufficient number of tools and equipment, heating and lighting, where colorful and plenty of activities could be conducted and equipped with technological tools. Furthermore, it was determined that the teachers and students criticized the photographs they disliked due to the lack of facilities in the classroom to implement different methods, similarities with their own classrooms, or for being dark and old-looking, and the unhappy demeanor of the students and teachers on the photographs. The study findings were discussed and interpreted within the framework of the literature.