Opinions of primary school classroom teachers about distribution process of values in social science course curriculum / Sınıf öğretmenlerinin hayat bilgisi dersi öğretim programındaki değerlerin kazandırılma sürecine yönelik görüşleri

Abstract

Assuming that the most significant segment of personality of individuals is shaped in the initial years of education, we can assert that the value and moral education is of critical importance. Being aware of to what extend students can attain the values indicated by the primary school social science course curriculum and how effective teachers can guide students is important in terms of rendering students well-educated personalities with high rank values who are prone to shape the future of society. In this context, the aim of the present study is to determine opinions of teachers about values in the curriculum, methods teachers use to teach these values, difficulties they face and acquaintance of “respect - affection” values. The study was conducted with phenomenology design, which is one of the qualitative research designs.The sample of the study was composed of 5 primary school classroom teachers working for two different schools in Of in Trabzon province. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 5 classroom teachers. The data were analyzed with content analysis method. At the end of the study it can be said that not only knowledge and skills but also behavior of teacher is important in value education and students perceive teachers as role models and the teachers encounter difficulties in value teaching process, that curriculum is not practical, in terms of abstract nature of the concepts, lack of time, lack of transfer of the obtained values into real life and behavior. In the light of the findings following recommendations can be given; value education studies at schools should be reorganized with a student’s centered approach by revising the associations between course books and attainments in the curriculum. Resources including theoretical and practical aspects can be prepared to guide teachers