Abstract
This study examined how prospective social studies teachers evaluate their experiences conducting oral histories regarding Turkey’s recent history. The research was completed in a course called History of the Republic of Turkey in the Faculty of Education at Sakarya University. Thirty-four social studies teacher candidates participated in the study. Based on a phenomenological research design (a qualitative research method), the data were obtained via semi-structured interviews consisting of 5 questions developed for this study. Content analysis was used to analyze the data. The prospective social studies teachers reported that their experiences completing oral histories related to recent Turkish history positively affected their views of the study of history and that their oral history experiences exposed them to diverse perspectives. The primary difficulties they encountered conducting their oral histories concerned the source persons they did oral histories. They also reported that they would like to practice oral history in their future social studies classes.
Highlights
The study of recent history is prone to controversy
Based on a phenomenological research design, the data were obtained via semi-structured interviews consisting of 5 questions developed for this study
This study evaluated prospective social studies teachers’ experiences conducting oral history projects about Turkey’s recent history in a course called History of the Republic of Turkey
Summary
The study of recent history is prone to controversy. No consensus exists among historians regarding what constitutes recent history. Many believe that the term should refer to the period in which a historian has lived, focusing on tracing the events through that period and identifying the origins of given problems (Acun, 1998). Critiques of the field of recent history do not focus solely on the absence of clear time delineations; some contend the field lacks objectivity because it recounts contemporaneous events, aligning it more closely with the study of politics or other social sciences. Since recent history addresses the most recent epoch, the recollections of people who influence, direct, and witness events are the most important sources of information. Oral history serves as one of the most important methods of revealing information about recent history
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