Examining Preschool Teachers’ Views on Social Studies Education
Project no. 32408 · Status: Kapanmış · 2024
Summary
<p>Social studies education is a field that encompasses the disciplines of history, geography, economics, citizenship, and culture. In early childhood, a period in which the foundations of children’s understanding of life are established, social studies education is regarded as a necessity (Öner & Yiğit, 2021). Through social studies education, children in early childhood both construct their own understanding of life and develop environmental awareness (Rosenberg, 2020). The inclusion and implementation of social studies education—an interdisciplinary field that supports children in becoming effective citizens equipped with 21st-century skills—within preschool education programs is considered one of the most important areas requiring further study for early childhood education in our country.</p><p>In this context, examining preschool teachers’ experiences and views regarding social studies has the potential to improve the status of social studies education, which has not yet been sufficiently represented in the current curriculum, and to support children’s development in this field. This project, planned to be completed within 12 months, adopts a phenomenological research design, as it aims to examine preschool teachers’ experiences, views, and classroom practices related to social studies education. Data will be collected first through individual interviews and subsequently through semi-structured focus group interviews. The participants of the study will consist of 30 teachers working in preschool education institutions in İzmir. Following the acquisition of the necessary permissions from the relevant directorates of the Ministry of National Education, teachers will be informed prior to the interviews that their responses will be used solely for academic purposes, and participation will be based on informed and voluntary consent.</p>