History Courses and Values Education: History Teachers' Evaluation of History Education Processes in Turkey in Terms of Values Education

Abstract

Values education is a subject matter that draws attention in history education in every period. As history is about people's past lives, it naturally presents the heritage values of the society. In addition, the confrontation of the students with the historians’ process of history making also contributes to both seeing these values and developing other values through some collaborative processes. There exists a special relationship between history and values education and both strengthen one another over the heritage values. The main purpose of the study is to learn history teachers’ views about value education within the context of history courses. History teachers were asked to evaluate history courses, curriculum, and textbooks in terms of values education, and their opinions about classroom practices and effective values education were received. In this respect, qualitative research approach and case study design in accordance with its nature was adopted in the study. In 2020, 16 history teachers were interviewed via a semi-structured interview form, and the data obtained were analysed via content analysis and presented. As a result, it was observed that history teachers considered history courses as an ideal field in terms of values education. Despite this, they did not find the curriculum and textbook sufficient and they carried out values education with their own efforts, mostly through classroom practices. Teachers emphasized that there would be opportunities for effective values education in a history lesson where student-centred activities were carried out, history was not abused and its social aspect was emphasized more.