The purpose of this study is to determine the impact of authentic learning activities organized within the scope of the social studies course of 5th grade students on the academic success. Quasi-experimental design which is one of the quantitative research methods was used in the research. The study was carried out in the academic year of 2017-2018 in schools that represent three different socioeconomic statuses in Ankara province. 62 students from Çankaya Province; 61 students from Yenimahalle Province and 61 students from Altındağ Province; a total of 184 students participated in the study. Academic achievement test developed by a researcher was used as a data collection tool in the study. According to the results, the academic success of experimental groups where authentic learning activities were used was found to be higher than the academic success of the control groups where the available programs were used. Again, in the groups where authentic learning was applied, it was found out that the girls were more successful than the boys. It was also found out that authentic learning activities increase success in all classes with socioeconomic status.

The current study aims to determine prospective teachers" opinions about WebQuest applications by both introducing them to the WebQuest teaching materials and obtaining their experiences in the WebQuest design process. This study employs phenomenology as a qualitative research approach. The study was conducted in the spring semester of the 2017-2018 academic year with the third year undergraduate students in the social studies education department of a state university in Ankara. Two different data collection tools, a Peer Evaluation Form and an Interview Form, were used. Content analysis was used to analyze the data obtained. According to the findings of the study, social studies preservice teachers think that teacher supervision of Webquest teaching activities is advantageous. Preservice teachers defined the specific principles of WebQuest teaching activities as a weak factor. Additionally, preservice teachers emphasized that WebQuest teaching activities are difficult to implement in environments where Internet and computer facilities are not available. Even though almost half of the participants stated that they wanted to include WebQuest teaching activities in their classes when they started the teaching profession, they expressed about their concerns.

The purpose of this study is to determine pre-service teachers' perceptions of folk culture. The study uses the qualitative research method. The study group consists of pre-service teachers studying in the sports sciences and education faculties of a state university located in Ankara province of Turkey. The research data have been collected through a metaphor form and semi-structured interviews to identify the participants' perceptions of folk culture. The obtained data have been subjected to content analysis. The analysis results of the metaphor data indicate that the pre-service teachers associate folk culture with 'inevitable and valuable element' most, followed by 'informative/directive elements'. The analysis results of the interview data, on the other hand, point out that the participants largely highlight folk culture's function as informing about values of society. Another finding of the study is that the pre-service teachers' perceptions of folk culture considerably differ by their subject branch. Especially the pre-service teachers receiving education in the field of sciences (70%) have negative perceptions towards folk culture. Also, it has been noticed that some of the participating pre-service teachers have misconceptions regarding folk culture. The analyses of the metaphor and interview data have revealed that some preservice teachers think culture has an unchangeable nature and so opposes development and science.

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