The views of elementary school teachers on teaching history with the help of visual aids in elementary school social studies class (Town of Sarikamiş as the example)

The goal of this research is to assess the use of visual aids in teaching history in social studies classes according to the views of the elementary school 4th grade teachers. In this regard, this research might be considered important in that the use of visual aids in teaching history in 4th grade social studies class is determined by the views of teachers and the final results of this research contribute to the measures that must be taken. The task force of this research consists of thirty teachers who served in Sarıkamış, Kars in 2017-2018 school year. The research has been conducted in the pattern of qualitative research and the data have been gathered via a half-structured interview form which has been developed by the researcher. The data that have been gathered by the half-structured interviews have been evaluated with the use of descriptive analysis. Overall results of the research are: The teachers identify the visual aids as a method of materialization of more of an intangible historical subjects. The most used visual aids are maps, timeline and chronology. The visual aids help the teachers in supporting their teachings. They develop a positive attitude on comprehending the historical subjects. They create an effective environment for learning. They increase the students' involvement in the class. They provide more permanent learning for students. They make the classes more enjoyable for the children. They are highly effective in acquiring the skills of creative thinking, critical thinking, perception of time, chronology, change and consistency for the students. Finally, it has been discovered that the most needed visual materials for teaching are videos.