The effect of using historical novels on students academic achievement in teaching social studies

The purpose of this research is to determine the impacts of historical novels on students' school performance which are used as a material in teaching social studies at elementary 7th grade.The study group is studying in primary schools in Ankara Ayaş Sadullahpaşa District 7 Grade learners. In the study experimental (n = 30) and control (n = 30) group were taken in two-class pretest - posttest control group experimental design was used. In the study, 7 / B-class students have been appointed as an experimental group. 7 / A-class students have been appointed as a control group by the intact method. While historical novels used as a material of constructivist approach model was applied to the experimental group (7 / B-class), only the constructivist approach teaching model without using of historical novels was applied to the control group (7 / A-class ). Achievement test was used for the purpose of data collection. Both groups took success test before-after experimental process. The data obtained were analyzed using SPSS program.Two-way analysis of variance (repeated measures) was performed in the analysis of the research?s sub-problems. Frequency, percentage and arithmetic mean values were used.Between the experimental group?s pre-experiment and post-experiment total achievement scores on ?Journey in the Turkish History? unit?s pre-tests and post-tests and those of control group?s, significant differences have been found. There are significant differences between pre-test and post-test average achievement scores in relation to the students' achievements scores on ?Journey in the Turkish History? unit. Achievement scores of the experimental and control groups? students who were taught by two different models of teaching on ?Journey in the Turkish History? unit test showed significant differences between before and after the experiment. That is to say, the common effects of being in a different process group (experimental and control group) and repeated measures factors on the success levels of Journey in the Turkish History unit test were found significant.When the pre-experiment and post-experiment test scores of the ?Journey in the Turkish History? unit are taken into consideration, it is observed that the constructive approach model, using historical novels as a material, is more effective in enhancing students' achievements than a constructivist approach model, not using historical novels as a teaching material.Key words: Teaching Social Studies, Historical Novels, Instructional Materials, Constructivist Approach.