Effect of a planned trip to zoos on learning and student views about the trip process

In this study, researching the effect of a planned trip to zoos, one of the informal learning environment, on learning and taking students' opinions about the trip were aimed. In accordance with this purpose, from mixed designs, embedded designs were used because both qualitative data and quantitative data were used. In 2013-2014 academic year, 15 fifth grade students who education in Avluca Sht. Ahmet Keskin Secondary School were chosen as a working group. The quantitative part of the research was designed according to one group pre-test post-test experimental design. In this part, as a data collection tool, academic achievement test "Animals", which was prepared by researcher by taking expert opinion, was used and implemented as pre-test and post-test on the working group. The data obtained were analyzed with the help of SPSS program. According to Wilcoxon Signed Ranks Test results, it was specified that there was a significant difference between the students' pre-test and post-test academic achievement scores, being on post-test's side (Z=3,065; p=.002<.05). In the qualitative part of the research, with the aim of designating the students' views about the trip, students were interviewed with semi-structured interview form prepared by researcher after the trip and the data obtained from the interview were evaluated with content analysis method. In order to identify students' misconceptions, before and after the trip, students were gotten to draw concept maps and the misconceptions' pre and post-test frequencies were compared. According to the results which was collected in the process of research with the data's being analyzed, a well-conceived zoo trip has a positive effect on learning. Students have found the trip activity entertaining and informative, stated that they learn better when having fun, indicated that they, before the trip, have found the brochures about the zoo and their teacher's guidance during the trip quite beneficial. It has been seen that zoo trip has removed some misconceptions and had no effect on some of them.