Effects of Creative Drama Method on Students’ Attitude towards Social Studies, Academic Achievement and Retention in Turkey

Ozlem Kaf,Ozge Uygungul Yilmaz

doi:10.12973/eu-jer.6.3.289

Abstract

<p style="text-align:justify">The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of creative drama as a teaching method on academic achievement and retention in social studies, students’ attitude towards social studies of 4th grade. The research is designed according to quasi-experimental model. The research was conducted with 4th year students in a public school in Adana in Turkey. There are 42 students in experimental group and 39 in control group. Creative drama activities were used to develop social studies achievement and attitude of students as a treatment for the experimental group. The treatment consisted of 15 hours, 40 minutes sessions that equal a class hour in school and 3 hours a week. Control groups had been taught by classroom teachers as the way they do traditionally. Data collection tools are “Attitude Towards Social Studies Scale” developed by Gencel “Achievement Test” developed by the researchers. Data were processed by using covariance analysis. Findings indicated that creative drama method has a significant effect on social studies achievement and students’ attitude towards social studies but not a significant effect on retention of social studies knowledge.</p>

Highlights

Education process, aimed to facilitate individuals' conformation to society, undergoes differentiation in parallel with the changes in social structure with time
It was determined that the effect of the creative drama method on the students' achievement and attitudes towards of the social studies subject is statistically significant
It can be said that higher levels of progress in the achievements and attitudes towards the social studies subject was achieved in the students in the experimental group compared to those in the control group and this effect is caused by the creative drama method

Summary

Introduction

Education process, aimed to facilitate individuals' conformation to society, undergoes differentiation in parallel with the changes in social structure with time. The primary purpose of social studies is to help young people develop the ability to make informed and reasoned decisions for the public good as citizens of a culturally diverse, democratic society in an interdependent, global world (NCSS, 1993). Creative drama in education gives the individual an active role and is one of the methods contributing to effective learning of the skills required to be acquired, developed and put into practice by the students, within the group coherence and facilitated by the teacher. To use drama is highly motivating and the students work in cooperation, and learn researching, critical thinking and problem solving skills (Shoob & Stout, 2008) In light of these statements, the general purpose of the study is to determine the effect of creative drama as a teaching method on academic achievement in, attitude towards and retention in social studies subject of primary school students. When the academic achievement post-test scores for the selected unit in social studies subject are controlled in experimental and control groups, is there a significant difference between the retention scores mean?

Participants

Discussion and Conclusion

Findings

Methods and Techniques