The evaluation of influence of local history on change and continuity perception skills in social studies education

This research has been done to compare the influences of education based on activities including local history elements and education depending on classroom activities and not including local history elements at the 5th grade Social Studies teaching of the unit ―Adım Adım Türkiye‖ and to determine students' opinions about local history usage. The quantitative aspect of the researh has been designed as a quasi experimental model including pretest-posttest control group and students were interviewed for the qualitative aspect. The research has been done in one of the secondary schools in the center of Kastamonu, in the classes 5/A and 5/ D in 2014- 2015 Academic Year. The class 5/A has become experimental group for which education based on the activities including local history elements has been implemented and the class 5 /D has become control group for which education based on classroom activities and not including local history elements has been implemented. ―Adım Adım Türkiye Ünitesi DeğiĢim ve Sürekliliği Algılama Becerisi Ölçme Aracı ( The Unit of Adım Adım Türkiye Change and Continuity Measuring Intrument ) and ―Öğrenci GörüĢme Formu‖ ( Students Interview Form ) have been used for this researh. SPSS ( Statistical Packet for the Social Sciences ) has been used to analyze the data. T-test has been used for unrelated samples and ANOVA ( repeated measures ) has been used for repetitive measurement to analyze quantitative data. Descriptive analysis is also used for qualitative measurement. A meaningful difference has been reached at the end of the research between the experimental group for which education based on activities including local history elements has been implemented and control group for which education based on classroom activities has been implemented in favours of experimental group in terms of change and continuity perception skills. According to this, the research concludes that local history practices have a positive influence over students' change and continuity perception skills. The students' opinions also support this result. Key words: Social Studies, local history, change and continuity perception skills