Values Education Using Historical-Literary Works: Turkish Language and Literature Course Curriculum (Grades 9-12) and the Work of Şifâyî Entitled “Şerh-i Şebistân-ı Hayâl”

Abstract

Literary works, apart from being written with an artistic purpose, contribute to the transfer of some universal values to the reader. Thus, “values” continue to exist as they are transferred from generation to generation, similar to a context where the curriculum of a teaching process may work in the same way. The act of transferring universal values not only makes the existing work constant but also the value attempted to be taught in the same manner. The effective involvement of such works, which contain important information and the characteristics of the society of that period, has an important effect on the learning and teaching process of values. “Şebistân-ı Hayâl” is an advising work with a mixture of verse and prose written by Persian poet Fettâhî (d. 852/1448-49 or 853/1449-50) from which modern readers can also benefit. The text tries to convey universal values via using Islamic elements as a concrete base. Since Şebistân-ı Hayâl is written in the style of riddle, the advice that adorns the morality inside the text is difficult to understand. For this reason, according to the current information, Şebistân-ı Hayâl was expounded by Sürûrî in the 16th century and by Dervîş Muhammed Şifâyî in the 17th century. In this study, sample texts selected from Şerh-i Şebistân-ı Hayâl, written by Dervîş Muhammed Şifâyî, are examined in terms of basic “values” (p. 6); justice, friendship, honesty, self-control, patience, respect, love, responsibility, benevolence that takes place in the Secondary Education Turkish Language and Literature Course Curriculum (9-12 Grades). As it is stated in the curriculum (MEB, 2019, p. 6), these values will come to life in teaching and learning process, not only by themselves, but also by the sub-values they are related to and also with other basic values as well.