This study is an action research which aims to improve teaching skills of social studies teacher with regard to controversial issues. 24 Social studies teachers across the country participated in the study. The Problem of the study was that social studies teachers do not receive a direct training education regarding instruction in controversial issues during their undergraduate education resulting in refraining from these issues in their classrooms. Thus this study aims to increase knowledge and competencies of social studies teachers regarding this matter. For this purpose a 6-day training has been provided to social studies teachers. The data has been collected through implementation of a pretest and a posttest. The collected data reported as frequencies and percentages in addition to an analysis via paired samples t test to see whether or not statistically significant differences exist between pretest and posttest scores. The results indicate that social studies teachers made important acquisitions regarding the use of controversial issues in social studies course.

<p class="apa">The purpose of this study is to determine how students in a south-western province of Turkey employ historical significance which is one of the second order concepts of historical thinking. 44 11^th and 12^th grade students participated in the study. They were asked to identify the most significant 10 persons in the history and provide their reasons for selecting each person. A total of 127 people are determined by students as significant. Each person identified by the students given a score according to a formula developed by the researchers. Thus 10 people with the highest score determined by the most significant person history. Analysis of these 10 people along with remaining of the list revealed that students are unable to employ professional standards to differ significant people from those who are not. Rather they are quite personal and subjective with regard to selections they made. Additionally it has been revealed that they choose people only from Turkish history, their selections characterized by people from relatively recent past, and paucity of female figures in list raised concerns regarding content, curriculum and instruction of history and social studies courses in Turkey.</p>

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