The effect of outdoor education on students' citizenship consciousness levels and attitudes towards the course in 5th grade social studies course

This study, examining the impact of outdoor education on 5th-grade social studies students' civic consciousness levels and attitudes towards the course, emphasizes the importance of experience-based learning processes beyond traditional classroom settings. The main problem of the research is to determine whether outdoor education has an effect on the civic consciousness levels and attitudes towards the social studies course of 5th-grade students. Accordingly, the aim of the study is to ensure that the targeted learning outcomes are achieved by processing the "Active Citizenship" learning area, included in the 2018 Social Studies Curriculum for 5th grade, through outdoor learning activities. Considering that outdoor education studies in the literature are mostly concentrated in the field of science and there are limited studies in the field of social studies, this research is important in terms of filling the gap in the field of social studies education., this research fills a gap in social studies education. Furthermore, the qualitative and quantitative evaluations conducted for extracurricular activities, which have gained importance with the "Turkish Century Education Model," make this study significant among other researches. The study was conducted using quantitative and qualitative data collected through a quasi-experimental design. A pre-test post-test control group quasi-experimental design was used for quantitative data. The study group consisted of a total of 60 5th-grade students in Turgutlu district, Manisa province, during the 2023-2024 academic year. Data were collected using the "Civic Consciousness Scale" and "Social Studies Course Attitude Scale," while a semi-structured interview form was used for qualitative data. The research findings indicate that outdoor learning environments significantly improve students' civic consciousness levels and attitudes towards the social studies course. Specifically, statistically significant increases were observed in responsibility consciousness, rights consciousness, and the "liking," "interest," "desire" and "trust" sub-dimensions of attitude towards the course. Qualitative findings revealed that on-site observation, concrete experience, and activity-based learning increased the retention of information, encouraged active student participation, and made the course more enjoyable. Furthermore, significant gains were observed in areas such as recognizing and understanding public institutions, learning about rights and responsibilities, and trusting public services.