The effect of web-based distance education application with stories created in the digital environment on students' attitudes, views and thoughts in gaining the values in the secondary school social studies course

The primary purpose of this research was to determine the effect of web based distance education with digital stories and scenario-based moral dilemma approach on students' attitudes, views and thoughts in gaining some values in secondary school social studies course. In line with this general aim, two classes of 7th-grade students were recruited as study groups in a public secondary school affiliated with the Ministry of National Education in Adana Province Çukurova District with the "random cluster sampling method" during the 2021–2022 academic year. This research is a study conducted in the "mixed model" in which quantitative and qualitative data were obtained. In the quantitative dimension of the research, the "control group design consisting of pre-test, post-test and retention tests," one of the actual experimental models, was used. One of these classes, in which a total of 60 students (30 students in each class) were educated, was chosen as the experimental group (7-A) and the other as the control group (7-B) by random method. In a total of eight weeks, while the students in the experimental group continued their normal education process, they also received web based distance education support with digital stories and scenario based moral dilemma approach was used regarding the values of "Citizenship, Cultural Values, Respect, Environment and Nature, Responsibility and Being Scientific" in the Secondary School Social Studies Curriculum. At this stage, only traditional/teacher-centered instruction was given to the students in the control group. In this context, the "Attitude Scale Regarding the Values in the Secondary School Social Studies Curriculum," consisting of six sub-dimensions with a total of 24 items, developed by Gömleksiz and Cüro in 2011, was applied to both groups as a pre-test, post-test and retention tests during the quantitative data collection process. The retention tests of both groups were carried out by reapplication of the scale used as pretest and posttest in this study after 21 days. In the process of collecting the qualitative data of the research, the scenarios developed regarding the above-mentioned values were presented to the students in both the experimental and control groups, as a pre-test and post-test, with a moral dilemma approach, and the students were asked to write down their views and thoughts on these scenarios with their justifications. The responses given for each value were associated both with the titles "positive", "negative", "undecided" and "other" and with the levels and stages grouped by Kohlberg's Moral Development Theory. The results obtained from the research revealed that web based distance education with digital stories and teaching with scenario-based moral dilemma approach activities were more effective than traditional/teacher-centered teaching practices in 7th grade students' acquisition of the values targeted in the Social Studies Curriculum.