Teaching the primary school 4th grade Religious Culture and Moral Knowledge course with creative drama technique

The aim of this study is to examine the effect of applying the fourth-grade Religious Culture and Moral Knowledge (RCMK) curriculum through the creative drama method on students' academic achievement and attitudes toward the course. The study employed a quasi-experimental design with pre-test and post-test control groups, one of the quantitative research methods.The study was conducted with fourth-grade students attending Private Cemre Schools in Güneşli, Bağcılar, Istanbul, and Çamlıca, Üsküdar, during the 2024–2025 academic year. Students in the experimental group received a Religious Culture and Moral Knowledge course using creative drama techniques, while the control group received the course using traditional methods in accordance with the Ministry of National Education curriculum. Achievement tests were administered to both groups before and after the intervention. The findings revealed that the creative drama method had a positive impact on students' academic success and their attitudes toward the course. The post-test scores of the experimental group showed a statistically significant increase compared to the control group. Furthermore, students in the experimental group were observed to better comprehend religious and moral concepts and to relate them more effectively to real-life situations. These results indicate that the creative drama method is an effective tool, particularly in the teaching of abstract concepts, and contributes to making the Religious Culture and Moral Knowledge course more interactive, engaging, and meaningful.