Chapter 5: Teaching About Being a Good Citizen, Government, and Human Rights in Social Studies

Social studies as an interdisciplinary course first took place in the elementary education program at the end of 1960s in Turkey (Öztürk, 2009). Nevertheless, citizenship or civic education courses have a much longer history and go back to the early years of the Turkish Republic. Along with history and geography courses, there were two other courses which can be considered part of the 1924 social studies curriculum in Turkey. These courses were entitled “moral discussion” and “motherland information [studies]” (Akpınar & Kaymakçı, 2012). In 1926 (after 2 years) the new curricula were in order and these two courses were combined under the name of “homeland studies.” The name of the course was changed again in 1948 to “citizenship studies” (Gömleksiz & Akyıldız, 2012; Gürel, 2016). Although there had been some changes in the content and purpose of this course until it was abolished in 1968, the general focus of this course always had been to promote students’ love toward the homeland and nation; an understanding of social, economic, and democratic development in the homeland and the world; an awareness of citizen’s rights and responsibilities; an understanding of the importance of the republican regime; and students’ commitment to the Turkish revolution (Akpınar & Kaymakçı, 2012; Aykaç, 2011). In 1968, there was another curriculum reform movement and this became an important milestone in the development of social studies education in Turkey. The Ministry of National Education combined “citizenship studies” with “history” and “geography” courses under the umbrella term “social studies” and introduced it as a new school subject for elementary school (Grade 4 and 5). Along with history and geography subjects this new social studies course included such topics; rights and responsibilities of the citizen, social interaction and communication, and students’ awareness of immediate environment, the homeland, and the world (Çatak, 2015). After a couple years of trial period, beginning with the 1970–1971 academic year, social studies courses were included among the required courses of the middle school program (sixth through eighth grades then; Çayır & Gürkaynak, 2007; Semenderoğlu & Gülersoy, 2005).