Investigation of Social Studies Curriculum in Regards to Migrant, Refugee, Asylum-Seekers Concepts

Abstract

This study aims to exhibit the current situation of migrant, refugee, asylum-seekers concepts in Social Studies Curriculum (2018) in Turkey in detail. This study, in which qualitative research method was applied, used document review for the detailed examination of the social studies curriculum. It referred to descriptive analysis technique in the analysis of the data obtained. The results of the research show that the concepts of migrant, refugee, asylum-seekers are not included in the social studies curriculum at all. The six criteria discussed (special purposes, basic skills, values, achievements of the social studies curriculum, issues to be considered in the implementation of the curriculum, the structure & learning areas of the curriculum), partially found a place directly or indirectly in the curriculum. However, there is a disproportionate distribution as seen in the findings. While 11 out of 18 values in the values section, 4 out of 7 learning areas can be associated with the concepts of migrant, refugee, asylum-seekers in a direct or indirect fashion, merely 15 out of 27 skills and only 15 out of 131 total achievements are associated with these concepts. Thereupon, the study reveals that the number of items, particularly the number of achievements, is insufficient in terms of concepts discussed whilst schools treat courses subject and achievement centered. In this respect, the researcher suggests that the distribution rates of migrant, refugee, asylum-seekers concepts should be more balanced in the curriculum amongst the criteria discussed in the study. A learning area for inclusive education should be created that includes all disadvantaged individuals directly. Accordingly, special purposes, issues to be considered in the implementation of the program, values, skills and achievements should be updated in the social studies curriculum (2018).

Perceptions of Secondary School Students towards the Concept of Refugee

“…Social Studies course has an important place in eliminating stereotypes and xenophobia that develop against refugees in social life (Akdoğan, 2020). Although the concepts of "immigrant, refugee, and asylum seeker" are not directly mentioned in the social studies curriculum (Kılcan & Şimşek, 2021), Günel, 2021). In the 7th grade textbook taught in 2020, the phenomenon of migration was classified as in Figure 1.…”

“…The following are migration and migration types (Güneş, 2017;Tıkman, Yıldırım & Şentürk, 2017), asylum seeker (Topkaya & Akdağ, 2016) and attitudes towards refugee students (Akdovan, 2020; Antoniou & Zembylas, 2018;Palaz, Çepni & Kılcan, 2019). Besides, there are studies in the literature that examine the concept of refugee in social studies education both in terms of curriculum (Kılcan & Şimşek, 2021;Pehlivan-Yılmaz & Günel, 2021) and textbooks (Pehlivan-Yılmaz & Günel, 2021). In the study conducted by Irmak (2019), secondary school students' perceptions of the concept of refugee were examined through metaphors.…”

Disadvantages and solutions of a model in asylum seeker education: Temporary education centers (TECs)

“…Therefore, it can be seen that non-educator employees are hiring for educational services. In addition, inadequacy of physical facilities (Usta et al, 2018), curriculum problems (Kaya, 2019;Kilcan & Simsek, 2021), the ineffective use of Turkish language (Beyhan & Epcacan, 2018;Kan & Utlu, 2017), and social inclusion challenges (Gumus et al, 2020) negatively affect the performance of TECs. The continuation of all these disadvantages gives the idea that the developed revisions are not effective enough.…”

Refugees in the Educational System: Views of Turk and Refugee Students

“…Mülteci çocukların eğitimi ile ilgili çalışmalarda, mültecilerin eğitim sistemindeki yerine ilişkin öğretmen (Çelik, 2019;Kardeş ve Akman, 2018;Özer, Komşuoğlu ve Ateşok, 2016;Sağlam ve İlksen Kanbur, 2017;Soylu vd., 2020;Şimşir ve Dilmaç, 2018;Zayimoğlu Öztürk, 2018) ve öğrenci (Çetin, Kılcan, Güneş ve Çepni, 2015;Palaz, Çepni ve Kılcan, 2019) görüşleri, öğretim programlarında mültecilik olgusu (Kılcan ve Şimşek, 2020), eğitim sürecine aile katılımı (Bloch ve Hirsch, 2017), çok kültürlü eğitim (Soylu vd., 2020;Timm, 2016) ve kapsayıcı eğitim (Demirezen ve Akhan, 2016;Pinson ve Arnot, 2007Taylor ve Kaur-Sidhu, 2012) gibi konuların sorunlar ve çözüm önerileriyle ele alındığı dikkat çekmektedir.…”

“…İçerik anlamında sosyal bilgiler, mültecilerin hak ve sorumluluklarının farkına varmalarına, yaşadıkları topluma uyum sağlamalarına katkı sağlayacak önemli derslerden biridir. Ancak Türkiye'deki Sosyal Bilgiler Öğretim Programında (2018) yer alan göçmen, mülteci, sığınmacı kavramları üzerine yapılan bir araştırma, söz konusu kavramların sosyal bilgiler müfredatında hiç yer almadığını göstermektedir (Kılcan ve Şimşek, 2020). Sosyal Bilgiler öğretim programında mültecilik konusunun yeri ile ilgili yapılan başka bir analizde, konunun bazı kazanımlarla ilişkili olduğu tespit edilmiştir (Öztürk, 2015).…”