Abstract

In order to avoid problems such as lack of confidence, lack of respect, and lack of love, as well as violence within a given social structure, students should be trained not only as academically successful individuals, but also as people who have adopted the core values of the society. To address this need, this study explores the use of short stories, which are thought to be effective for developing awareness of these core values, with a group of Turkish primary students. The students were told stories by the researcher, and their opinions about the effects of these stories were investigated. The research sample consisted of 30 volunteer students from the 6th and 7th grades of an elementary school in Ankara, Turkey. In this study, a qualitative research approach was used. The data were obtained through written and oral statements. The researcher coded the responses as either cognitive or affective through content analysis,. According to the results, 12 gains in the cognitive dimension and 20 gains in the affective dimension were observed via students’ assessments of these educational short stories. In light of this data, it can be said that educational short stories may provide a significant contribution to students’ cognitive and affective development.

Key words:  Educational story, values, teacher, student, effectiveness of the class.