SNF 508 - New Concepts in Social Studies Teaching

The primary objective of this course is to enable graduate students in elementary education to integrate new concepts required by the globalizing and digitalizing world (digital citizenship, climate change, social justice, financial literacy, etc.) into Social Studies and Life Skills instruction at the elementary school level. The course also aims to advance students' abilities to conduct academic research on these new concepts and review the literature.

This graduate course, titled "New Concepts and Approaches in Social Studies Teaching," aims to equip students in the field of primary school education with the knowledge and skills to align the primary school Life Studies and Social Studies courses with the complex realities of the modern world. Basing its content directly on the most recent volume of the 2024 work "New Approaches in Social Studies Teaching" by Turan et al., the course focuses on the new approaches introduced by the Türkiye Yüzyılı Maarif Modeli, contextual learning, and core teaching skills. Furthermore, it examines how contemporary themes such as sustainability, disaster education, and artificial intelligence, along with innovative pedagogical practices like digital storytelling and local history, can be adapted for the primary school level. In addition to this content-focused approach, the course also places special emphasis on developing students' academic research skills. In this regard, students are expected to develop critical analyses on one of the current topics covered in the course and to complete this process at the end of the semester with an output such as a literature review presentation based on their research.