Understanding Local Governments in Practice

This study aims to determine the contribution of applied education in the case of Local Government, a Department of Political Science and Public Administration course. The study included role-playing-based practices that develop creativity skills within the scope of workshops. In this framework, the study question was "What is the contribution of local government course workshops on students' understanding and learning?" Qualitative research, which adopts the constructivist paradigm and argues that perspectives are essential, was adopted as the method, and action research was used as the design of this study. The study group of this research consists of 45 third-year students in the Department of Political Science and Public Administration. The data were collected through a questionnaire consisting of eight open-ended questions and a semi-structured interview. Data analysis was conducted through descriptive analysis. The study revealed that the participants showed improvement in understanding and learning on the subjects of the municipal council, the council in particular provincial administrations, and village bodies. In-service training in workshops was recommended for instructors teaching local government courses.