Argumentation-supported educational comics as a teaching tool for environmental education

Çiçek Şentürk Ö., Selvi M.

Environmental Education Research, vol.30, no.2, pp.170-189, 2024 (SSCI) identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 30 Issue: 2
  • Publication Date: 2024
  • Doi Number: 10.1080/13504622.2023.2227357
  • Journal Name: Environmental Education Research
  • Journal Indexes: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, Academic Search Premier, EBSCO Education Source, Educational research abstracts (ERA), ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Greenfile, Psycinfo, Public Affairs Index
  • Page Numbers: pp.170-189
  • Keywords: academic success, argumentation-supported educational comics, environmental education, interest, motivation, secondary school students
  • Gazi University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

Individuals’ interests, motivations, and knowledge about the environment can affect their behavior toward the environment. This mixed-methods sequential explanatory research study examined the effect of argumentation-supported educational comics used in science lessons on the environmental interest, motivation, and academic achievement of 5th-grade students (N = 290) and explored their experiences. Quantitative data collected in a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design using validated survey scales indicated that from pretest to posttest, the scores of three variables of experimental groups 1 and 2 were higher than those of the control group. Qualitative findings from semi-structured interviews (N = 36) indicated that students stated that argumentation-supported educational comics attracted their attention and increased their motivation. Also, according to them, comics are very useful in expanding their environmental knowledge. Taken together, this research suggests that designing argumentation via educational comics can boost positive learning processes and outcomes.