Analysing the 4th Grade Social Studies Book in Terms of Including Literary Genres

Abstract

Textbooks are a decisive and guiding tool in teaching lessons for reasons such as being prepared according to learning outcomes and being accepted by the Ministry of National Education Board of Education and Instruction. The Social Studies Curriculum mentions that the course should be supported with literary products “by using genres such as legends, epics, tales, proverbs, true stories, folk songs and poems”. In this framework, literary genres should be utilised in the content of textbooks to set an example. This study examines the social studies textbooks taught in the 4th grade regarding the number of literary genres and their contexts. The document analysis method, a qualitative research method, was used in this study. The collected data were analysed via content analysis. As a result, it was determined that the most common genres in the textbook were interviews, anecdotes, and biographies. The interview, the most common literary genre found in all units, was analysed in terms of the contexts it addressed. The program's acquisitions, basic skills, values, and explanations were considered.