EFFECTS OF DRAMA- AND ANİMATİON-SUPPORTED FİRST AİD EDUCATİON İN PRESCHOOL CHİLDREN

This study is a single-group, pretest-posttest quasi-experimental study designed to evaluate the effectiveness of a developmentally appropriate first aid education program for preschool children. The study will include preschool children aged 57-71 months who meet the eligibility criteria and whose parents or legal guardians provide written informed consent. Children's voluntary participation will also be respected throughout the study.

The intervention consists of the Children's First Aid - Drama- and Animation-Supported Education (ÇİDA) Program. The program is delivered over five weeks and includes structured educational sessions based on active participation, drama, role-play, animation, storytelling, puppets, visual scenarios, games, demonstrations, and hands-on activities. Each educational session lasts approximately 20-25 minutes.

The educational content focuses on recognizing situations that may require first aid, maintaining personal safety, seeking help from an appropriate adult, and demonstrating age-appropriate safe responses. The sessions address helping behavior, safety before providing help, bleeding, falls and injuries, suspected fractures or sprains, burns, foreign bodies in the eye, ear, or nose, and choking or breathing difficulties. The final week includes review activities and scenario-based practice to reinforce previously learned behaviors.

Children's first aid-related awareness, knowledge, and skills will be assessed before and after the educational program. Assessment will include age-appropriate scenario-based questions and structured observation of children's responses and first aid-related behaviors during simulated situations. The evaluation focuses on whether children can recognize a potentially dangerous or first aid-related situation, avoid unsafe actions, select an appropriate response, and seek help from an adult.

The primary objective is to determine whether participation in the ÇİDA Program improves preschool children's first aid awareness, knowledge, and skills from pre-intervention to post-intervention. The study also aims to provide evidence regarding the feasibility of using developmentally appropriate, interactive, and experiential teaching methods for first aid education in preschool settings.