Museum practises in the course of social studies

Primary school education aims to raise individuals who know self, others and the environment around them, suit into the society, have problem solving, critical thinking, and reflective thinking abilities. The course of social studies is one of the most effective course in order to achieve these goals. This course ensures that students know, understand, interpret, analyze, evaluate and offer new solutions to natural and social issues around them. Especially in the revised curriculum, launched in 2004, proposes student centered teaching environment. To achieve effective and long term learning; teaching environments should give opportunities like observation, research and explore to students and should provide hands-on learning opportunities. On contrary of the limited physical facilities of traditional schools, museums give an environment that students feel the free. Especially for the students who don't have the abstract thinking ability, learning by using the five senses, exploring, researching, and practising can be more effective. The aim of this study is determined as to investigate and analyse museum practises in the course of social study. To achieve this aim the opinions of teachers and students, and activities which prepared for museum practises is used as primary data. The participants of this research which conducted as a quantitave research is determined among the teachers who used the museum practises in the course of social science in 2012-2013 in Eskişehir and the students who participated to museum practises in the course of social science before. So 20 primary school teachers and 30 students from grade 2, 3, and 4 had been interviewed. The data of the research collected with semi-structured interview forms that created by researcher and document review. Descriptive analyses is used as method. The findings of the research are as follows; primary school teachers don't have efficient and right perception about museums. They don't give enough attention to preliminary preparations for visits to museums. They don't provide enough activities apart from talking and question-answer teaching method to students before, during or after museum practises. Primary school teachers think that museum practises create a bound with the topic of the course, solidify the informations, enhance students thinking abilities, provide long term and effective learning. And they also describe the museum practises as fun, useful and positive activities. Beside these positive opinions some primary school teachers also think that museum practises are time consuming, risky, hard and boring. This research also focuses on students' opinions about museum practises. A major part of the students who participate the research think that museum practises are nice, fun, remarkable, exciting, informative, helpful, and provide effective learning. A small part of the students think that museum practises are noisy, boring, frightening and don't contribute to course of social science. The following recommendations offered for museum practices; teachers should prepare some activities before visits, museums should be determined according to level of students, museum practises should be supported by Ministry of Education and the visits should be free for students. In addition to these; activities like drama, guided tours, learning by games, solving puzzles, acting, archaeological experiences, and brainstorm should be used for making students more engaged to the course.