Aesthetic listening activities in the development of listening skills: The case of primary school 2nd grade students

This study aims to examine the effect of aesthetic listening activities on the listening comprehension achievement levels of second-grade primary school students and to evaluate the aesthetic listening activity process. For this purpose, the research was designed as an embedded experimental model from mixed-method research. The study, conducted in the spring semester of the 2023-2024 academic year, was attended by 30 students studying in the second-grade A and B classes of a state school in the center of Bayburt province. In the quantitative dimension of the study, a quasi-experimental design with a pretest-posttest control group was followed. Quantitative data were supported by qualitative data obtained by interviewing the experimental group teacher after the application. Before the experimental process, the "Listening Comprehension Achievement Test" was administered to both classes as a pretest. A total of 7 aesthetic listening activities were applied to the experimental group one day a week for three class hours by their own classroom teacher for 7 weeks. After the experimental process, another "Listening Comprehension Achievement Test" was administered as a post-test and, the same test was administered as a retention test one month later. The quantitative data obtained within the scope of the research were analyzed using the SPSS 24 data analysis program. Shapiro-Wilk normality test results, kurtosis-skewness coefficients, histograms and, box plots were examined to examine whether the data obtained were normally distributed or not and it was decided to analyze the data with parametric tests. The qualitative data obtained from the interview were analyzed using content analysis, and the quantitative data was supported. As a result, it was seen that aesthetic listening activities positively affected listening comprehension achievement levels. Based on these findings, it can be said that implementing aesthetic listening activities from the early years of primary school will contribute to listening skills and classroom teachers can apply the developed activities in their lessons.