The effect of usage of cooperative learning method in social studies classes of 7th grades on the perceptions of democratic attitudes and human rights with academic achievement

The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of cooperative learning method in social studies classes on the academic achievement and perceptions of democratic attitudes and human rights. The experimental application of the study was performed on the 67 students attending B and C classes of the 7th grade in Şüküfe Nihal Primary School in Yenimahalle District of Ankara during 2011 ? 2012 academic year. There were 33 students in the experimental group and 34 students in the control group. The study was conducted with pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design with a control group. The data of the study was collected via ?Democratic Attitude Scale? consisting 23 items, ?Academic Achievement Test? consisting 20 items and an assessment form developed to measure the perceptions of the students on human rights. Data collected from the Achievement Test and Attitude Scales were evaluated with t-Test for SPSS 16,0 programme independent groups and with two-factor ANOVA for repetitive measurements. The answers of the students who filled the form prepared for evaluating the human rights perceptions of the students were evaluated with document evaluation techniques in accordance with qualitative research methods and the common ideas of the students towards this subject were tried to be determined. According to the quantitative results of the study, the results of the preliminary test performed to determine the academic achievement levels of the experiment groups and of the control group in social studies classes displayed that there weren?t any significant differences between these groups (t(65)=.184, p>.05). It is found out that the academic achievement score of the groups who were educated with two different methods displayed a significant difference before and after the tests and the common effects of the groups on whom different teaching methods were applied and of the repetetive measurements factors on the academic achievement score of the social studies class were significant. [F(1-65) = 34,871, p<.01)]. The results of the preliminary test done to determine the democratic attitude scores of the experimental and control groups stated that there weren?t any significant differences between these groups (t(65)=.492, p>.05). Attitude scores of the groups who attended social studies classes with two different methods on democracy displayed a significant difference before and after the tests but it is occurred that the common effects of being in groups on whom different teaching methods were applied and of the repetitive measurements factors on democratic attitude scores weren?t significant [F(1-65)=1,093, p>.05)]. The data collected from the interview form stated that most of the students emphasized the equality and freedom when explaining human rights. Equality under the law and freedom of thought are very crucial for the students and are a must (sine qua non) for human rights. Almost all of the students indicated the ?right to be educated? as an example for the human right and ?right to elect and be elected? followed that. The fact that students realize the importance of equality in educational environments and their criticism about that is remarkable. The analysis on the relationship between human rights and democracy presented the opinions of the students revealing the facts that these two concepts are interrelated and are prerequisite for each other. Key Words: Social studies, democracy and human rights, democratic attitude, cooperative learning method.