Intelligence and Mind Games in Concept Teaching in Social Studies

Sibel Çağir,Şahin Oruç

doi:10.17275/per.20.39.7.3

Abstract

In the Social Studies lesson, the impacts of using intelligence and mind games on academic achievement and students' attitudes towards Social Studies lesson were examined for the teaching of the concepts in the 6th grade Effective Citizenship Learning Area. In the study, semi-experimental pattern with pre-test-post-test, experimental-control group was studied. In the research, teaching the concepts with intelligence and mind games prepared by the researchers was carried out with the experimental group. On the other hand, the control group was taught in line with the activities in the current curriculum. As a result of the t-test analysis of the pre-post-application scores of attitude in the control and experimental group, it was observed that there was a significant difference in favor of the post-test both in control group (t = -2.955, p &lt;.05) and in experimental group (t = -4.109, p &lt;.05). As a result of the research, a conclusion was reached in favor of the experimental group in terms of both academic achievement (t = -7.028, p &lt;.05) and attitude towards the course (t = -2.411, p &lt;.05). Intelligence and mind games can be used to teach the concepts of the Social Studies course. Mind games named "Tick Tack Concept" (Tik Tak Kavram Oyunu) and "Keep in your mind" (Aklında Tut) which were developed in this study can be used for concept teaching.

Highlights

In order to learn the principles of social studies and to solve social problems, it would be highly useful for the students to learn the basic concepts
After teaching with activities based on intelligence and mind games, the Attitude Scale for Social Studies Lesson applied as the pre-test is reapplied as a post-test
The results of the analysis show that the method applied in the control group has a significant effect on students’ attitudes

Summary

Introduction

In order to learn the principles of social studies and to solve social problems, it would be highly useful for the students to learn the basic concepts. Concepts contribute to the formation of cognitive structures in the long-term memory of individuals and to the process of making meaningful storage of new information coming into memory. In order for students to learn concepts in a meaningful way, importance should be given to concept teaching. There are plentiful studies regarding the teaching, difficulty and misconceptions of concept learning and its importance. To that end it is fundamental to use different methods and techniques in concept teaching in order to prevent misconceptions that might occur, to touch the life of the individual and to carry out the education process as desired

Objectives

Methods

Results