An examination of the impact of different educational models on children's lifestyle education levels: The example of another school possible (BBOM)

This study aims to examine the ways in which students in two primary schools with different educational models perceive the concept of leisure, their awareness of leisure education, and their orientations toward the components of leisure education. The research was conducted during the 2023–2024 academic year with fourth-grade students, their parents, and teachers from Meraklı Kedi Primary School and Ömer Halisdemir Primary School in Ankara, Türkiye. A qualitative research method was adopted, and the study was designed within the framework of a case study. Semi-structured interviews were employed as the data collection technique. The processes of coding and thematic analysis were carried out using the MAXQDA 24 software package, and the data were analyzed through content analysis. As a result of the analysis of the interviews, 43 codes from students, 50 codes from parents, and 79 codes from teachers were identified and organized under the overarching theme of the components of leisure education. The findings revealed that students' perceptions and practices regarding leisure were closely related to the pedagogical approaches of the schools they attended. While the students of Meraklı Kedi Primary School perceived leisure as an opportunity for productivity, exploration, and personal development, the students of Ömer Halisdemir Primary School predominantly defined leisure as a period for play and relaxation. In conclusion, the study highlights that leisure education constitutes a crucial domain that supports children's social, emotional, and cognitive development, and therefore, it should be systematically structured starting from the primary school level.