An Examination of the Effect of the Digital Context-Based Learning Approach on Learning: the Case of the Social Studies Course

The aim of this study is to examine the impact of the digital context-based learning approach on achieving the intended learning outcomes of the fifth-grade Social Studies course, specifically within the learning domain “Economy in Our Lives.” In this context, the study also investigates its effect on domain-specific, conceptual, and socio-emotional learning skills, as well as on learners’ tendencies and the value–action framework defined for this domain. For this purpose, the digital context-based learning approach was designed for the first time within the scope of this research. The learning process, conducted through the digitalization of contexts, was structured using widely used social media platforms. A quantitative research design was employed, specifically a quasi-experimental model with a pre-test–post-test paired control group. The study group consisted of 102 students selected through simple random sampling from two schools in Erzincan city center during the 2024–2025 academic year. During data collection, the sub-dimensions of the targeted instructional content were transformed into control forms by the researcher. For data analysis, paired-samples t-tests were used to compare the pre-test and post-test scores of the experimental and control groups, while independent-samples t-tests were conducted to examine the relationship between pre-test and post-test scores. The results revealed a statistically significant difference between the experimental group’s pre-test and post-test scores, and the comparison of group means indicated that the post-test results were in favor of the experimental group. These findings demonstrate that the digital context-based learning approach has a positive effect on student learning.