An Analysis of Middle School Social Studies Textbooks with a Focus on Media Themes

Abstract

This study analyzes middle school social studies textbooks regarding media coverage. Document analysis was the preferred methodology of data collection. The data was gathered from 5th, 6th, and 7th grade middle school textbooks, identified via random sampling. The Media Concept and Related Concepts Textbook Review Form, developed by the researcher, was utilized during the data collection process. Researcher triangulation was applied during the analysis phase. The media-related textbook content was encapsulated within the following five themes: Media elements, media effects, media functions, media literacy, and media ethics. Findings for the media elements were categorized into media development, media tools, media types, media institutions, and media workers. Another major theme emerging from the analysis of the textbook content was media effects, which contained both positive and negative dimensions related to the impacts of media. Media functions constituted another media content theme emerging from the textbook analysis. This theme encompassed the media functions of transmission, speed, and ease of processing, communication and communication tools, education, and digital content. The media literacy theme encompassed findings categorized into thematic concepts, basic skills, and consciousness-raising. The final main theme emerging from the textbook analysis was media ethics. This theme included findings associated with controllable and regulable activities and ethical rights.

History teachers’ opinion about the 11th grade history textbook

“…In the literature, previous and new social studies, Turkish Republic Revolution History and Kemalism, geography, and science courses' textbooks have been discussed in many studies in terms of various aspects (Akcan & Türkmenoğlu, 2022;Depeci & Çifçi, 2023;Dere & Uçar, 2020;Dere & Aktaşlı, 2019;Ersoy, 2023;Gökçınar, 2022;Karakuş & Çoksever, 2019;Osmanoğlu & Cantemur, 2020;Safran et al, 2016). Concerning the studies on the textbooks of history courses, Kaya and Perihan (2017) conducted a study to determine the opinions of history teachers and 9th-grade students about the 9th-grade history curriculum and the 9th-grade history textbook.…”