Investigation of Social Studies Curriculum and Coursebook in the Context of Today's World Problems: What Do Teachers Think?

This study aimed to investigate the views of social studies teachers on today's world problems and teaching practices. The study group consisted of social studies teachers (10 female - 8 male teachers) teaching in public schools in the Doğubayazıt district of Ağrı Province. The data of the study, which was conducted with phenomenology, one of the qualitative research designs, were obtained with a structured opinion form consisting of five open-ended questions. Content analysis technique was utilized in order to analyze the data collected through Google Online Form and face-to-face interviews. Based on the results obtained in the study, the social studies teachers mostly associated today’s world problems with environmental and social issues such as global warming, wars, population growth, and deforestation. A common perspective was failed to reach for the curriculum and in-class teaching practices regarding the teaching of today's world problems. While some of the teachers thought that the curriculum and in-class teaching practices sufficiently incorporated today's world problems, the teachers who opposed this notion presented their views on the inadequacy of the curriculum, textbook, and duration, which was restricted within the theoretical framework.