The effect of comics use on students' attitudes towards social studies

Comic books are a versatile and dynamic art form. They offer readers a divergent narrative experience by integrating textual and visual components, and appeal to a broad range of ages and interests due to the diversity of genres including superheroes, science fiction, fantasy and comedy. This study aims to explore the potential of comics in social studies education, with a particular focus on the utilisation of visual diversity in this context. The potential of comics in the field of education, particularly in relation to social problems and solutions, is a subject of considerable interest in the extant literature. Addressing the pedagogical challenges associated with teaching children with diverse learning styles can be achieved by appealing to multiple senses during the learning process. The integration of diverse teaching aids and materials into lessons has been identified as a highly effective strategy for improving learning outcomes. The judicious selection and integration of instructional materials, when employed in a manner that caters to students' diverse learning styles and sensory abilities, has been repeatedly emphasised in numerous studies as a pivotal factor in fostering a comprehensive learning environment. The combination of diverse materials has been identified as a significant source of motivation for both students and educators. The present study aims to examine the contribution of utilising comics as a teaching aid in the social studies classroom. The study employed an explanatory sequential mixed-design methodology. The integration of quantitative and qualitative data was employed to elucidate the impact of utilising comics in the instruction of social studies on the transformation of the learning environment. The quantitative aspect of the study was approached through the utilisation of a quasi-experimental design, while the qualitative element was investigated through a case study approach. The experimental application continued for a period of five weeks. The study was conducted in Mustafa Kiriş Secondary School, located in the Efeler district of the Aydin province. The study was conducted in the context of the sixth grade social studies course 'people, places and environments' learning area. The research group comprised 72 sixth grade students, with 36 assigned to the experimental group and 36 to the control group. The data were obtained using the Social Studies Attitude Scale and interview questions. The subsequent analysis revealed a significant disparity in scores between the experimental and control groups. The experimental and control groups were compared, and the results obtained from the interview questions and the data obtained from the observation form supported the findings. The study demonstrated the positive impact of comics on educational outcomes and identified its potential as a valuable teaching tool in the educational environment. The utilisation of comics as an educational material has been demonstrated to make a substantial contribution to the learning process. The experimental and control groups' pre-test and post-test descriptive statistics were analysed, and it was determined that the pre-test mean for the experimental group was x ̅ = 60.69, while the post-test mean was x ̅ = 80. This increase indicates the efficacy of the application in the experimental group. This indicates that the post-test scores exhibited a greater dispersion. The findings of the analysis provide substantiation for the proposition that comics possess the capacity to raise awareness by presenting these issues in an engaging and thought-provoking manner. Keywords: Social Studies, Comics, Mixed Pattern