Research Information System
Thesis Type: Doctorate
Institution Of The Thesis: Gazi University, Turkey
Approval Date: 2018
Thesis Language: Turkish
Student: Mustafa Alper Çetin
Open Archive Collection: AVESIS Open Access Collection
Abstract:The aim of this study is to compare and analysis of the social studies curricula, textbooks and the workbooks in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Turkey. In line with this goal, social studies curricula, textbooks and workbooks available in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia at 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th grades and in Turkey at 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th grades have been used. The target was to study and compare social studies curricula in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and in Turkey at primary and secondary school level in terms of their educational aims, content, process, assessment and evaluation. Throughout the study, qualitative research procedures were applied. The study was carried out by the help of document analysis, one of the qualitative research methods. In the study, descriptive research was used as a method and document analysis method was preferred for data collection technique because they comply with the aim of the study and it makes possible to study social studies curricula, textbooks and workbooks which are considered as published material. Within the study social studies curricula, textbooks and workbooks being used at 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th grades in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and at 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th grades in Turkey and were obtained and then, the authenticity of the materials was checked. After that, the materials were analysed and the data obtained through the analysis of the materials was comparatively used at each grade level, in line with the problems of the study. Beside the comparisons at each grade level, general comparisons for all grades were also made. As a result, it was found out that not only the educational curricula but also the textbooks and workbooks of the two countries have significant differences in terms of their educational aims, content, process, and assessment and evaluation dimensions. Turkish social studies curriculum is based on educational philosophies of reconstructionism and progressivism. On the other hand, social studies curriculum in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is mostly under the influence of the educational philosophies of perennialism and essentialism. In parallel to the mentioned philosophical approach, it is understood that constructionist theory of learning comes fore in Turkish social studies curriculum. In Turkey, social studies tradition is dominant in social sciences, but according to the characteristics of the topics, the approaches of reflective research field and citizenship transference were used. It was also found out that citizenship transference approach is more effective in social studies teaching curriculum in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. All the books on social studies in Turkey were prepared compatible with constructive approach. When compared to Saudi Arabian social studies textbooks, it was found that Turkish Social Studies textbooks have a richer content and are based on scientific and objective approach. The textbook content in Turkey is compatible with the social studies teaching curriculum. However, there is inconsistence between the textbooks and curriculum in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in terms of learning outcomes in social studies. Therefore, it is possible to say that the content is insufficient to realize the learning outcomes. Several themes in the textbooks of the two countries were compared. One of them is religion. It was clearly seen religion has much more room in the textbooks in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia then the social studies textbooks in Turkey. Some important differences were found in the category of citizenship in the textbooks of the two countries. While in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, citizenship rights are get less stressed in textbooks than the ones in Turkey, the citizenship responsibilities and rules much more coverage in textbooks in Turkey. In regard to Ottomans, some negative statements were founds in the textbooks of both countries. While the theme Ottoman was handled in the Turkish textbooks in relation with defeats, uprisings, the severe conditions that both people and the state suffered from, the focus was mostly on The Party of Union and Progress, Turkish Nationalism and Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. The way that nationalism was stressed in the textbooks of both countries has similarities. While nationalism ranks first in terms of frequency of mentioning in the textbooks used in Turkey, the term comes second in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It was found that in the social studies textbooks of both countries, the theme domestic issues gets less coverage than the other themes.