Secondary school students' opinions about planetarium: Erbaa Bilimpark Planetarium

The purpose of this research is to determine the views of secondary school students about the planetarium. For this purpose, the phenomenology method, one of the qualitative research methods, was used in the research. In order to find an answer to the research problem, the criterion sampling method, one of the purposeful sampling methods, was preferred while determining the study group. In the study carried out in the 2020-2021 academic year, the criterion was determined as the students' visit to the Erbaa Science Park Planetarium. In this context, a total of 15 students who participated in the trips organized to the Erbaa Bilimpark Planetarium were determined as the study group of the research. The data of the study were collected through a semi-structured interview form prepared by the researcher. The data of the study were collected through a semi-structured interview form prepared by the researcher. The data were analyzed by content analysis by taking the opinions of 15 students about the planetarium before and after the trip. As a result of the analysis, it was determined that the students' planetariums were defined as observation places. When the expectations of the students before the trip were examined, it was concluded that they thought that the planetarium trip could be effective in terms of permanent learning and simple plain expression. It has been determined that all students except one student have not information about the working principle of planetariumsRegarding the studies carried out in the planetarium, the students stated that video animation, reinforcement studies and workshops were carried out adequately. It is understood that the horizontal lesson teaching activity is perceived as an out-of-class social activity by the students. In addition, it has been determined that the lectures in the planetarium and the planetarium are above the expectations of the students in terms of visuality, but they cannot meet the expectations of the students in terms of sound quality. Again, the students emphasized that the Solar System and Beyond unit should be processed in the planetarium. In addition, it has been determined that the lectures in the planetarium and the contents in the planetarium are above the expectations of the students in terms of visuality, but they cannot meet the expectations of the students in terms of sound quality and size of the environment. It was determined that the students liked the planetariums because they created the feeling of wandering in space. In addition, it was observed that the students stated that they would learn more about space subjects and concepts in the planetarium. Another result of the study is the opinions of the students that their interests and thoughts on science and astronomy have changed in a positive way. The students stated that their curiosity about the concepts related to space increased. The results of the research reveal that the students mostly shared with their parents about the structure and shape of the planetarium. Another result is that the students stated that their parents thought of the planetarium trip as a socially developing and repeatable activity. It has been concluded that the students emphasize that the subjects they see in the lesson will be reinforced and contribute to learning through trips to different non-school environments. However, it was determined that the students stated that the excursions should be done for reinforcement purposes after the units were processed. In this context, it can be stated that planetarium trips should be considered important in order to develop positive attitudes towards science, facilitate learning, and obtain a permanent and effective learning experience.