Analyzing Social and Environmental Issues Elementary School Students Reflect in their Cartoons

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to identify the feelings and thoughts of primary school students regarding the problems they experience in their environment and to determine their suggestions for solving these problems with the help of the cartoons they have drawn themselves. The data of the study were collected in accordance with qualitative research methods such as open-ended questions, semi-structured interviews, and children’s drawings. As a result of the research, it was found out that the culture the students lived in had an important effect on their interpretation of the social problems. In addition, it was also revealed that the cartoons drawn by the students to reflect the problems they experienced were effective in terms of their decision-making while choosing the problem, thinking creatively and critically about the problems, making interpretations, and finding solutions to the problems.