The Usage of Non-Classroom Environments in Social Studies Education

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to determine the usage of non-classroom environments for social
studies instruction. The methodology utilized in this research was the survey method. The participants in this
study were teachers in Turkey who were employed by the Ministry of National Education and working in
primary and secondary schools in Eskisehir, Turkey. In this research, a total of 40 teachers, 20 social studies
teachers and 20 classroom teachers, were interviewed. Following qualitative methodology techniques, the
research data was collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed through descriptive analysis. In the
research, analysis revealed the most frequently listed non-classroom environments used by social studies classes
were schoolyards, libraries, gymnasiums, multipurpose rooms, school corridors, laboratory classrooms, and the
social studies classrooms. Further analysis of teachers’ views about their usage of non-classroom environments
revealed that they believed there was benefit from non-classroom environments considering the appropriateness
of content, the time available, and the school’s physical structure. When the reasons for why teachers were not
using these environments were examined and the teachers listed problems with the schools’ physical structure,
heavy curriculum loads, planning problems, and the large number of students enrolled in classes