University students' interest, attitudes and awareness levels in history course, the Turkish example

Abstract

This study aimed to assess university students' interest, attitude, and awareness concerning the Atatürk’s Principles and History of the Turkish Revolution course. A descriptive and correlational research design was employed, with a sample of 360 voluntary students from the Faculty of Education. Findings revealed that the majority of participants were female (58.9%) and enrolled in the Social Studies Education program (45%). Students who studied regularly and dedicated 3–4 or more hours per day to their studies showed significantly higher levels of interest, positive attitudes, and awareness regarding the course. The lowest attitude scores were observed among Classroom Teaching students (M = 55.50, SD = 15.09), while the highest were seen in History Teaching students (M = 68.21, SD = 9.36). Science Teaching students had the lowest interest levels (M = 47.67, SD = 15.05), and male students demonstrated greater interest than female students. The average score of university students from the Atatürk's Principles and Revolution History Course Awareness Scale was determined as 112.33 ± 22.43. According to the scale scored between 27-135, it can be said that the students' awareness levels regarding the Atatürk's Principles and Revolution History Course are quite high. In conclusion, students exhibited high levels of awareness about the course's objectives and content, with generally above-average interest and attitudes. However, personal characteristics such as gender, department, and study habits significantly influenced these factors.