The Effects of Out-Of-Class Learning on Students’ Interest in Science and Scientific Attitudes - The Case of School Garden

Oct 15, 2026

This study examines how school garden-based out-of-class learning activities affect students’ interest in science and their scientific attitudes. A quantitative pretest-posttest control group quasi-experimental design was used with 37 seventh-grade students from a public school in Türkiye. Plant reproduction, growth, and development activities were implemented over seven weeks. Data were gathered using the Science Interest Scale and Scientific Attitude Scale, showing garden-based activities with moderate effects close to moderate levels.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages22

Reading Time55 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Out-of-Class Learning

Research Design and Data Collection

Findings and Implications

The Effects of Out-Of-Class Learning on Students’ Interest in Science and Scientific Attitudes: The Case of School Garden Esra SARAÇ YILDIRIM1 Kilis 7 Aralık University Mustafa DOĞRU2 Akdeniz University Abstract This study aims to reveal the effects of out-of-class learning activities conducted in the school garden on students’ interest in science and their scientific attitudes. Research designed as a pretest-posttest control group quasi-experimental design of quantitative research methods. The research group of the study consists of 37, 7th grade students enrolled in a public school in Turkiye. Reproduction, growth and development in plants were conducted through school garden-based science activities for seven weeks. The research data were collected using Science Interest Scale and Scientific Attitude Scale. The study findings showed that garden-based activities have a moderate and close to moderate effect on students’ interests in science and scientific attitudes. As per these findings, we can say that school gardens are out-of-class learning environments that can be used to help increase students’ interest and attitudes toward science. Keywords: Out-Of-Class Learning, School Garden, Scientific Interests, Scientific Attitudes, Science Education DOI: 10.29329/epasr.2023.525.12 Submitted:19 December 2022 Accepted: 28 February 2023 Published: 08 March 2023 1Assist. Prof. Dr., Faculty of Education, Kilis 7 Aralık University, ORCID: 0000-0001-9047-4434 Correspondence: [esrasarac@kilis.edu.tr](esrasarac@kilis.edu.tr) 2 Assoc. Prof. Dr., Faculty of Education, Akdeniz University, Türkiye, ORCID: 000-0003-0405-4789 Email: [mustafadogru@akdeniz@edu.tr](mustafadogru@akdeniz@edu.tr) Introduction Nowadays, science and technology are developing at an unprecedented pace. Changes that take place naturally affect the needs of societies, characteristics that individuals should have, and the structure of education. Current educational approaches focus on the acquisition of characteristics such as producing knowledge, making functional use of knowledge, problem-solving, critical thinking, research inquiry, entrepreneurship, creativity, and effective communication. Educators often mention the limitation of the learning mode realized only inside the classroom walls to have students acquire these characteristics (Akçalı, 2015) . At this point, learning environments, where students can have first-hand experiences, see, practice, and feel the real-life equivalents of knowledge gain significance. These learning environments could be within or beyond the classroom walls. As Lieverman states,“For a more effective education reform, teachers should free children from classrooms”(as cited in Louv, 2017) . According to these facts, the notion of conducting teaching activities not only in the classroom environment but also using out-of-class environments is increasingly gaining significance. The out-of-school or out-of-class learning environments are generally referred to as “outdoor learning/education”,“out-of-school learning/education”, and “out-of-class learning/education”. In this study, out-of-class learning, was adopted in line with the research content. Out-of-Class Learning Out-of-class learning can be defined as children learning about people, their heritage, and natural environments through playing and other first-hand experiences in various settings beyond the classroom. Among other things, out-of-class learning can help students (Grigg & Lewis, 2016): • Acquire knowledge about the environment • Develop personal and social skills • Learn about how things work and link together • Think critically and creatively when they solve problems in real-world contexts • Foster open-mindedness and caring responsible attitudes towards their environment. Out-of-class learning is not the same as outdoor learning because out-of-class contexts include indoor settings such as museums, galleries, archives, science center

FAQs

What is the main aim of the study?

To determine the effects of school garden-based out-of-class learning activities on students’ interest in science and their scientific attitudes.

How was the research conducted?

Using a quantitative pretest-posttest control group quasi-experimental design with 37 seventh-grade students.

Which activities and scales were used?

Students participated in school garden science activities for seven weeks on plant reproduction, growth, and development, and the study used the Science Interest Scale and Scientific Attitude Scale.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by MrHarris58