Activities and opinions prepared by preschool teacher candidates for out-of-school learning environments

In this study, it was aimed to introduce preservice preschool teachers to out-of-school learning environments and to determine their activity plans and opinions on the process of preparing out-of-school learning activities. The study group consisted of 26 pre-service preschool teachers studying at the Faculty of Education, Bolu Abant İzzet Baysal University, during the spring semester of the 2022-2023 academic year. A case study method, one of the qualitative research designs, was employed. Data collection tools included activity plans and a structured interview form prepared by the researcher. Due to the Maraş earthquake, the data collection process lasted eight weeks and was conducted online as part of remote education. After educational presentations by the researcher, the pre-service teachers were asked to visit one of the out-of-school learning environments in their respective cities, make observations, review the process of preparing activity plans, and prepare an activity plan. Additionally, a structured interview form was administered to the pre-service teachers to gain more detailed insights into their knowledge about out-of-school learning environments and their views on preparing activity plans. The qualitative data obtained were analyzed using descriptive analysis and content analysis methods. The research results revealed that out-of-school learning activities are significant in the preschool education process for promoting permanent learning, learning by doing and experiencing and learning through enjoyment. The pre-service teachers visited various out-of-school learning environments in their cities and prepared their activity plans accordingly. It was also found that the pre-service teachers experienced positive emotions such as excitement, happiness, and enjoyment during the process of preparing activity plans and that they intend to incorporate out-of-school learning environments into the educational process once they begin their professional careers. Considering these results, it is believed that providing pre-service teachers with experiences in out-of-school learning environments during their undergraduate education will be effective in encouraging them to include such activities in their professional practice.