Tarih Okulu Dergisi, vol.17, no.69, pp.816-849, 2024 (Peer-Reviewed Journal)
This study aims to examine the changes in civics topics in primary school and social
studies programs since the proclamation of the Republic within the framework of the
political and social events that took place in that period. For this purpose, the civic issues
in the primary school social studies programs implemented in Turkey in 1924, 1926,
1936, 1948, 1962, 1968, 1998, 2005, and 2018 were examined. The research used the
historical method; while examining the programs, the document analysis technique within
the historical method was used. The data were classified under the themes of "Identity",
"Rights, Freedoms, Responsibilities, Duties", "Republic, Atatürk's Principles and
Reforms", "Functioning of the State", "Rules for Living in Community", "Love for
Homeland and Nation"; the civic issues in primary school social studies programs from
the republic to the present day were evaluated by descriptive analysis by associating them
with the political and social events of the period. According to the findings, it was
observed that the citizenship issues in primary school and social studies curriculum since
the proclamation of the republic were influenced by the political and social events of the
period; the issues were shaped towards the governments' ideology of raising good citizens
and the civic sphere of citizenship was neglected. This article is expected to contribute to
developing and preparing social studies programs by linking citizenship issues in primary
school social studies curriculum with the political and social events of the period.