Abstract
This study was conducted for the purpose of determining the impacts of out-of-school learning environments on 6th-grade students’ attitudes towards science course. In the study, the quasi-experimental model and pretest-posttest control grouped experimental design was employed. The experimental process step of the study was carried out on 6th-grade students who receive education in a secondary school in Turkey in 2017 and maintained for 18 weeks. 60 students are included in the study group of the research (control group=30, experimental group=30). For the purpose of measuring the attitude scores towards science course, “The Scale of Attitude towards Science Lesson” was used. The experimental phase was performed by science lesson teacher both in the control and experimental groups. No experimental process was applied in the control group. The instruction was provided in accordance with the Science Course Curriculum. While the instruction was provided in line with the control group in the experimental group, out-of-school learning environments were also included in the teaching process. Out-of-school learning environments were specified by considering the learning outcomes in the 6th-grade science curricula. Experimental group students visited out-of-school learning environments with the guidance of the science teacher. Science museum, anatomy museum, planetarium, nature trip, science festivals, energy park and aqua park are among the out-of-school learning environments. As a result of the study, it was seen that the attitudes of the students in the experimental group were increased at a significant level, and no significant improvement was realized in control group students’ attitudes.
Highlights
Today, it is thought that education-instruction should be actualized in the environments that are most similar to the reality in order to raise individuals as ones who are able to read and understand, able to use the information in real life, to produce and able to catch up with the age
In the study conducted by Sontay, Tutar & Karamustafaoglu (2016), it was stated that out-of-school learning environments should be used more actively and integrated into curriculums in order to make learning entertaining and enable students to participate in learning environments willingly
Out-of-school learning environments based on the argument that asserts that learning can be actualized in every part of life and as an individual activity in a classroom
Summary
It is thought that education-instruction should be actualized in the environments that are most similar to the reality in order to raise individuals as ones who are able to read and understand, able to use the information in real life, to produce and able to catch up with the age. This situation means that providing education only within the borders of the school wall will not be able to actualize the education and instruction of an individual precisely. Out-of-school learning environments which are more natural, flexible and entertaining in comparison to the education provided in schools enable students to gain different experiences and with different activities and emancipate teaching from being dependent on books and classroom atmosphere are rich educational sources (Noel, 2007), and have features to support the education given in schools
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