The effect of authentic learning on students' problem solving and reading comprehension skills, as well as their attitude towards the course in elementary education's 7th grade Turkish language course

In this study which has attempted to determine the effect of authentic learning-based applications on students' problem solving and reading comprehension skills, as well as their attitude towards the course in elementary education's 7th grade Turkish language course, a mixed methodology was used where qualitative and quantitative research methods take place together. Quantitative research method has been used to determine if authentic learning-based applications had an effect on various variables, then qualitative method has been used to collect students' opinions about the method used. It has been attempted to explain quantitative results by using qualitative data. The explanatory sequential design was used in the research. In the quantitative part of the research, matched control group design, which is one of the semi-experimental designs, was used to determine how authentic learning program's applications affected students' problem solving and reading comprehension skills, as well as their attitude towards the course. In the qualitative part of the study, case study design was used to make quantitative findings more meaningful. The experimental application has been performed in Fatma Zehra Dülgeroğlu Secondary School, located at Talas town center of Kayseri city. The sample of the quantitative part has consisted of a total of 48 students, 28 from the experimental group and 20 from the control group. 13 students, randomly selected from the experimental group have been participated in the qualitative part of the study. Research data were gathered using both quantitative and qualitative data collection tools. In the quantitative part of the research "Attitude Scale Towards Turkish Language Course (ASTTLC)", "Problem Solving Skills Test (PSST)" and "Reading Comprehension Achievement Test (RCAT)", which were developed by the researcher, were used. Qualitative data were collected via the "semi-structured interview form", prepared by the researcher. The data obtained from "ASTTLC", "PSST" and "RCAT", which were applied as pretest and posttest, were statistically analyzed using computer software. Since the number of students of both experimental and control groups was below 30, non-parametric statistical methods were used. Mann Whitney U Test was used to compare the differences between "ASTTLC", "PSST" and "RCAT" pretest results of the experimental and control groups. Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test was used to compare pretest and posttest "ASTTLC", "PSST" and "RCAT" average scores of the groups within the group. In the research, Mann Whitney U Test was used to compare the differences between "ASTTLC", "PSST" and "RCAT" posttest results of the experimental and control groups. In addition, intraclass correlation coefficient-R1 was calculated to check the scoring reliability of problem solving skill tests. In the analysis of quantitative data, the significance level was taken as p<.05. Descriptive analysis and content analysis were used for the analysis of qualitative data. The comparison of posttests scores of experimental group, who was exposed to authentic learning practice, and control group, who was not exposed to this practice, showed that authentic learning practice was effective on increasing problem solving skill, reading comprehension achievement and attitude towards Turkish language course of the students from the experimental group. No significant differences has been observed between pretest and posttest results of control group, showing that the lessons conducted according to the existing Turkish language course curriculum had no effect on students' problem solving skill, reading comprehension achievement and their attitude towards Turkish language course. However, the data obtained from the pretest and posttest of the students who were exposed to authentic learning applications showed that authentic learning practice was effective on increasing their problem solving skill, reading comprehension achievement and their attitude towards Turkish language course. The findings obtained from the qualitative part of the research revealed that the activities performed through authentic learning practice were fun, they were based on research and motivated students to do research; after authentic learning practice, the feelings and opinions of the students towards Turkish language course have been changed positively; due to the group activities performed during authentic learning practice, students had the opportunity to know their team members more closely; their friendship got stronger and they got along well; they acquired more information; the reflective writings written at the end of each lesson ensured better learning, with these writings they repeated the course, they memorized the content better; the topics covered in authentic practices were different than Turkish language course topics, they were good and enjoyable; the topics were contemporary and humanist; they prefer to conduct Turkish language courses based on authentic learning because authentic learning practice were better and more fun; it allows them to acquire knowledge; and it is different and enjoyable. Keywords: Turkish Language Curriculum, authentic learning, problem solving, reading comprehension, attitude