Graduate Education Institute · Primary School Teaching · Master
Course Objective
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.
Course Content
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.
Required Resources
(Turan vd.): Turan R., Sünbül, A. M., & Akdağ, H. (2024). Sosyal Bilgiler Öğretiminde Yeni Yaklaşımlar (Cilt 5) Pegem Akademi.
(TYMM): Milli Eğitim Bakanlığı. (2024). Türkiye Yüzyılı Maarif Modeli. Milli Eğitim Bakanlığı.
(SÖP): Milli Eğitim Bakanlığı. (2024). Sosyal Bilgiler Öğretim Programı. Milli Eğitim Bakanlığı.
Explanations
This course will be conducted in a graduate-level seminar format, based on the active participation and preparation of students. The core expectations and evaluation criteria for the successful completion of the course are summarized below.
Participation and Preparation: Regular attendance and coming prepared for discussions by completing the weekly readings are essential. In addition to the main textbook, each student is expected to regularly follow the current academic literature (articles, theses, etc.) related to their own term project topic.
Grading System: The final grade will be composed of: 25% Midterm Exam, 50% Final Exam, and 25% Term Presentation. The exams will primarily consist of open-ended questions designed to measure comprehension, interpretation, and synthesis skills regarding the course topics.
Term Project (Literature Review): Each student will select one of the course topics covered up to the 12th week and conduct a literature review on that topic. Domestic and international studies on the selected topic will be examined, the findings of these studies will be presented, and the importance of these within the scope of Social Studies teaching will be explained.
Course Learning Outcomes
- Students analyze the Türkiye Yüzyılı Maarif Modeli and its reflections on the 2024 Social Studies Curriculum based on its core philosophy.
- Students evaluate contemporary themes and approaches in social studies teaching, such as sustainability, artificial intelligence, disaster education, and local history.
- Students apply innovative teaching methods like contextual learning and digital storytelling by associating them with the core skills of the social studies course.
- Students conduct a literature review within the scope of Social Studies education based on one of the current topics covered in class and present their findings on the relevant topic.
Core Area Distribution
Teaching Methods
Assessment & Evaluation
ECTS / Workload
| Activity | Quantity | Duration (h) | Total Workload |
|---|---|---|---|
| Course Duration (Including Exam Week) | 14 | 3 | 42 |
| Out of Class Study Period | 14 | 5 | 70 |
| Midterm | 1 | 15 | 15 |
| Quiz | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Assignment | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Practice | 1 | 39 | 39 |
| Final | 1 | 21 | 21 |
Course Schedule
| Week | Subject | Preparation |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Introduction to the Course and Conceptual Framework | Reading: Carefully review the course syllabus. Review the “Introduction” and “Philosophical Basis of the Model” sections of the TYMM text. |
| 2 | The 2024 Social Studies Curriculum within the Scope of the Maarif Modeli | Reading: Read the relevant chapter from the textbook. Task: Come to class prepared to discuss what you believe are the 3 most fundamental changes brought by the new curriculum and how these changes might reflect on classroom practices. |
| 3 | Core Skills in Social Studies Teaching | Reading: Read the relevant chapter from the textbook. Task: Choose one of the skills described in the chapter and design an activity idea to develop this skill at the 4th-grade primary school level. |
| 4 | Interdisciplinary Social Studies Teaching Based on the Contextual Learning Approach | Reading: Read the relevant chapter from the textbook. Task: Select a learning outcome from the Social Studies course and explain in a paragraph how you would teach it using the contextual learning approach by connecting it with another subject (e.g., Turkish, Mathematics). |
| 5 | Sustainability in Social Studies Curricula: Global Examples | Reading: Read the relevant chapter from the textbook. Task: Compare one of the global examples given in the chapter with the practices in Turkey, and take notes on the similarities and differences. |
| 6 | The Role of Disaster Education in the 2024 Social Studies Curriculum | Reading: Read the relevant chapter from the textbook. Task: What can be done to ensure that disaster education is not just about transferring "knowledge" but also about instilling "skills and attitudes"? List your ideas. |
| 7 | Local and Oral History in Social Studies | Reading: Read the relevant chapter from the textbook. Task: Prepare 3 questions to conduct a brief oral history interview with a family member or someone in your community about the history of your locality. |
| 8 | Midterm Exam | Subjects of 2-7. weeks |
| 9 | The Place of Culture and Civilization History in Social Studies Curricula | Reading: Read the relevant chapter from the textbook. Task: How can we make these broad topics concrete and engaging for primary school students? Come to class with one creative activity proposal. |
| 10 | Elections and Voting Education in the Social Studies Course | Reading: Read the relevant chapter from the textbook. Task: Design how you would turn a class president election process into a game that includes all the principles of democratic participation (e.g., campaigning, voting, counting). |
| 11 | Artificial Intelligence in Social Studies Teaching | Reading: Read the relevant chapter from the textbook. Task: Identify one opportunity and one risk associated with using artificial intelligence in a social studies class, and prepare to discuss them in class. |
| 12 | The Use of Digital Storytelling in Social Studies Teaching | Reading: Read the relevant chapter from the textbook. Task: Prepare a 5-step storyboard draft for a simple digital story that could be created with students on the topic of local history or cultural heritage. |
| 13 | Term Presentations - I (3 student presentations) | Task: Review the topics of the students presenting this week. Prepare constructive feedback or a question for each presentation. |
| 14 | Term Presentations - II (3 student presentations) | Task: Review the topics of the students presenting this week. Prepare constructive feedback or a question for each presentation. |
| 15 | General Evaluation and Synthesis | Task: Review the topics covered throughout the semester. Write down with justifications what you believe is the most significant contribution of these "new approaches" to the professional development of a primary school teacher. |
| 16 | Final Exam | Midterm + Post-midterm subjects |