Investigation of the effect of context-based social studies digital textbook on learning

The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of using context-based digital textbooks in sixth-grade social studies classes on students' academic achievement, learning retention, spatial awareness, and map literacy skills. Another aim of the study is to evaluate context-based digital textbooks from the students' perspective. The study was conducted in two randomly selected public schools in the central district of Erzincan, with control (N=86) and experimental (N=54) groups formed using a random assignment method. In the application conducted during the fall semester of the 2023-2024 academic year, the learning outcomes and skills related to the "People, Places, and Environments" learning area of the sixth-grade Social Studies course were integrated into the digital textbook developed by İneç (2022) in accordance with the context-based learning strategy and used as an independent variable in the experimental group. According to the research findings, an increase was observed in the academic achievement, learning retention, and spatial thinking and map literacy skill levels of both the experimental and control group students. However, when the groups were compared, it was determined that the development of the students in the experimental group in these areas was significantly higher than that of the control group. The results obtained from the qualitative data showed that the context-based digital textbook made the learning environment more enjoyable and interactive; facilitated learning thanks to its rich context; functioned not only as a teaching material but also as a tool to support the lesson; and had a positive effect on the development of spatial perception. It was also found that students could easily access the digital textbook. Keywords: Spatial Perception Skills, Map Literacy Skills, Context-Based Learning, Social Studies Education, Digital Textbooks