Examining the interaction between visual culture perception and art education in primary school students: The example of Edirne province

Located in Türkiye's Thrace region, Edirne is a city noted for its rich historical and cultural heritage. Its visual culture is shaped by its many significant historical buildings, architectural diversity, and vibrant cultural events. The research, titled "Examining the interaction between visual culture perception and art education among primary school students: The example of Edirne province," aims to examine the relationship between visual culture perception and art education among primary school students. The effect of an art education application based on visual culture elements in Edirne province on the visual literacy levels of 6th and 7th grade students at Gazi Turhan Bey Secondary School in the Uzunköprü district of Edirne province was examined. The purpose of the research is to reveal the effect of visual culture-based art education on students' visual literacy skills and to evaluate the relationship between art education and visual culture perception. The thesis was conducted using a mixed method using both qualitative and quantitative data. A quasi-experimental design was employed in the study. In the first stage, the "Visual Arts Attitude Scale" was administered to six different student groups, and their attitude scores were compared statistically. Two groups with similar and positive attitude levels were identified, and one was assigned as the experimental group and the other as the control group. The experimental group received a special art education activity introducing visual cultural elements of Edirne. The students created a pictogram study on Edirne using symbols representing the city's culture. After the training, the "Visual Literacy Scale" was administered to both the experimental and control groups. Data were analyzed using SPSS. In the quantitative data analysis, the mean visual literacy scores of the experimental and control groups were compared using an independent samples t-test. The results showed that the experimental group mean was significantly higher than the control group. This finding demonstrated that art education based on local culture was effective in increasing students' visual literacy levels. Furthermore, pictogram studies conducted in the experimental group revealed that students incorporated historical structures, local motifs, and urban symbols specific to Edirne into their paintings, demonstrating creativity and cultural awareness in their color and composition choices. These qualitative findings supported the quantitative analyses. In conclusion, the research demonstrates that integrating local visual culture elements into art education both increases students' visual literacy levels and contributes to the development of their cultural identity.