CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES IN HISTORY TEACHING: EVALUATING THE CONTENT AND SCOPE OF THE 1915 EVENTS IN HISTORY TEXTBOOKS

Yıl 2024, Cilt: 64 Sayı: 2, 1044 - 1074

Yıldız Deveci Bozkuş , Tolgahan Ayantaş

https://doi.org/10.33171/dtcfjournal.2024.64.2.4

Öz

The educational dimension of history plays a vital role in shaping individuals' worldviews and understandings. However, the inclusion of certain controversial topics in history curricula leads to disagreements and challenges within education systems in many countries. Controversial issues in history education present significant challenges but also opportunities to develop critical thinking, empathy, and historical understanding. Controversial topics in history education typically revolve around colonialism, slavery, wars, religious history, nationalism, 1915 events and imperialism. Due to its place in the international political arena and its significance in our country's history, the events of 1915 stand out as a controversial subject. The purpose of this study is to examine the approach of high school level history textbooks in Turkey to the events of 1915. Six different history textbooks were analyzed using the qualitative research method of document analysis. The results of the study indicate that the examined textbooks lack sufficient and balanced content regarding the events of 1915. It was found that these important historical events were not adequately emphasized in the textbooks, and depth was not provided on the subject. Additionally, it was determined that different perspectives and cause-effect relationships of the 1915 events were missing. This indicates that the pedagogical principles for teaching controversial historical topics such as the events of 1915 were not adhered to in the examined history textbooks. The failure to adhere to these principles may make it difficult for students to understand the various aspects and perspectives of the subject and hinder their full comprehension of the cause and effect relationships of historical events. This, in turn, may hinder effective history education and the development of students' critical thinking skills. In this context, it is necessary for teachers and education authorities to pay more attention to these principles and ensure that controversial topics are comprehensively addressed in history classes. The study addresses controversial topics in history education while drawing attention to a significant gap in history education regarding the events of 1915 in our country, and it offers recommendations to education authorities, textbook writers, and history teachers.

Anahtar Kelimeler

History Textbooks, Armenian Issue, 1915 Events, Controversial Issues

TARİH ÖĞRETİMİNDE TARTIŞMALI KONULAR: TARİH DERS KİTAPLARINDA 1915 OLAYLARININ KONU VE KAPSAM AÇISINDAN DEĞERLENDİRİLMESİ

Öz

Tarihin eğitim boyutu, bireylerin dünya görüşlerini ve kavrayışlarını biçimlendirmede hayati bir rol oynamaktadır. Bununla birlikte, bazı tartışmalı konuların tarih öğretim programına dahil edilmesi, birçok ülkede eğitim sistemlerinde anlaşmazlıklara ve zorluklara neden olmaktadır. Tarih eğitimindeki tartışmalı konular önemli zorluklar doğurmakla birlikte aynı zamanda eleştirel düşünceyi, empatiyi ve tarihsel düşünme ve anlayışı geliştirmek için fırsatlar sunar. Tarih eğitiminde tartışmalı konular genellikle sömürgecilik, kölelik, savaşlar, dinler tarihi, milliyetçilik, 1915 Olayları ve emperyalizm başlıklarında toplanmaktadır. 1915 Olayları, uluslararası siyasi arenadaki yeri ve ülkemiz tarihindeki önemi nedeniyle tartışmalı bir konu olarak öne çıkmaktadır. Bu çalışmanın amacı, Türkiye’de lise düzeyindeki tarih ders kitaplarının 1915 Olaylarına yaklaşımını incelemektir. Araştırma kapsamında altı farklı tarih ders kitabı, nitel araştırma yöntemlerinden doküman analizi yöntemiyle incelenmiştir. Araştırmanın sonuçları, incelenen kitaplarda 1915 Olaylarına ilişkin yeterli ve dengeli bir içeriğin bulunmadığını göstermektedir. Kitaplarda bu önemli tarihsel olaya gereken vurgunun yapılmadığı ve konularda derinliğin sağlanamadığı tespit edilmiştir. Ayrıca, 1915 Olaylarına dair farklı perspektiflerin ve olayların neden-sonuç ilişkilerinin eksik olduğu belirlenmiştir. Bu durum, incelenen tarih ders kitaplarında 1915 Olayları gibi tartışmalı tarihsel konuların öğretiminde belirlenen pedagojik ilkelere uyulmadığını göstermektedir. Bu ilkelere uyulmaması, öğrencilerin konunun farklı yönlerini ve çeşitli bakış açılarını anlamalarını zorlaştırabilir ve tarihsel olayların neden ve sonuç ilişkilerini tam olarak kavramalarını engelleyebilir. Bu da tarih eğitiminin etkili bir şekilde gerçekleşmesini ve öğrencilerin eleştirel düşünme becerilerini geliştirmesini engelleyebilir. Bu bağlamda, öğretmenlerin ve eğitim otoritelerinin bu ilkelere daha fazla dikkat etmeleri ve tarih derslerinde tartışmalı konuların kapsamlı bir şekilde ele alınmasını sağlamaları gerekmektedir. Çalışma, tarih eğitimindeki tartışmalı konuları ele almakla birlikte ülkemizde tarih eğitimi alanında 1915 Olaylarına ilişkin önemli bir boşluğa dikkat çekerek eğitim otoritelerine, ders kitabı yazarlarına ve tarih öğretmenlerine bazı öneriler sunmaktadır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

TARİH DERS KİTAPLARI, ERMENİ SORUNU, 1915 OLAYLARI, TARTIŞMALI KONULAR

Etik Beyan

Söz konusu araştırma doküman incelemesine dayanmaktadır. İncelenen dokümanlar kamuya açıktır. Dolayısıyla görüşme, anket vb. veri toplama araçları kullanılmadığından etik kurul izni alınmasına gerek yoktur. Çalışmada akademik etik ve dürüstlüğe riayet edilmiştir. Detaylar yöntem bölümünde görülebilir.

Kaynakça

• Adwan, S., Bar-Tal, D., & Wexler, B. (2016). Portrayal of the Other in Palestinian and Israel Schoolbooks: A Comparative Study. Political Psychology, 37(2), 201-217. doi.org/10.1111/POPS.12227
• Alphonse, N. (2023). The Main Stages of the Research Process - A Review of the Literature. International Journal of Research and Review, 10(7), 671-675, doi.org/10.52403/ijrr.20230779
• Alridge, D. (2006). The Limits of Master Narratives in History Textbooks: An Analysis of Representations of Martin Luther King, Jr.. Teachers College Record, 108, 662-686. doi.org/10.1111/J.1467-9620.2006.00664.X
• Apple, M. W. (2014). Official knowledge: Democratic education in a conservative age. New York: Routledge.
• Banks, J. A. (1993). Multicultural education: Historical development, dimensions, and practice. Review of research in education, 19, 3-49.
• Barton, K. C. ve Levstik, L. S. (2004). Teaching history for the common good. New Jersey: Routledge.
• Başkumandan, S. (1946). Başkumandan Simbat Vekayinamesi 951–1334. (H. D. Andreasyan, Çev.). Ankara: Türk Tarih Kurumu Yayınları.
• Bazeley, P. (2009). Analyzing qualitative data: More than ‘identifying themes’. Malaysian Journal of Qualitative Research, 2(2), 6-22.
• Bharath, P. (2022). Critical Approach to History Textbook Images. Annals of Social Studies Education Research for Teachers, 3(2), 48-56.
• Bowen, G. A. (2009). Document analysis as a qualitative research method. Qualitative Research Journal, 9(2), 27-40.
• Bulliet, R. W., Crossley, P., Headrick, D., Hirsch, S., Johnson, L., & Northrup, D. (1997). The earth and its peoples. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
• Davies, M. (2017). Teaching sensitive and controversial issues. Debates in history teaching içinde (s. 261-272). London: Routledge.
• Deveci Bozkuş, Y. (2020). XIX. Yüzyılda Osmanlı İmparatorluğunda Ermeni Entelektüeller. Ankara: Nobel Yayınları.
• Deveci Bozkuş, Y. (2016). Ermeni Ders Kitaplarında Türkler. Ankara: Tepav Yayınları.
• Deveci Bozkuş, Y. (2013). Parlamento Kararları ve Yabancı Basında Ermeni Sorunu. Ankara: Sistem Yayınları.
• Deveci Bozkuş, Y. ve Küçüker, S. D. (2011). Armenia: Ermeniler ve Armenia Bölgesinin Eskiçağ Tarihi. Ankara: Genesis Yayınları.
• Djono, D., Joebagio, H., & Abidin, N. (2023). Representation of political conflicts in history textbooks. Historical Encounters: A journal of historical consciousness, historical cultures, and history education. doi.org/10.52289/hej10.107.
• Evans, R. J. (2005). The coming of the Third Reich. Penguin.
• Foster, S. (2011). Dominant Traditions in International Textbook Research and Revision. Education Inquiry, 2(1), 5-20.
• Fukuoka, K. (2018). Japanese history textbook controversy at a crossroads?: joint history research, politicization of textbook adoption process, and apology fatigue in Japan. Global Change, Peace & Security, 30, 313-334. doi.org/10.1080/14781158.2018.1501012.
• Gordon, D. (2005). History Textbooks, Narratives, and Democracy: A Response to Majid Al‐Haj. Curriculum Inquiry, 35, 367-376. doi.org/10.1111/J.1467-873X.2005.00332.X
• Hein, L. E. ve Selden, M. (2000). Censoring history: Citizenship and memory in Japan, Germany, and the United States. New York: M. E. Sharpe.
• Hutchins, R. (2011). Heroes and the renegotiation of national identity in American history textbooks: representations of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, 1982-2003. Nations and Nationalism, 17, 649-668. doi.org/10.1111/J.1469-8129.2011.00488.X.
• Jackson, I. ve Du, S. (2022). The Impact of History Textbooks on Young Chinese People's Understanding of the Past: A Social Media Analysis. Journal of Current Chinese Affairs, 51(2), 194-218.
• Jofré, M. I. T., Kolstrein, A. M., Gianella, V. G. ve Iglesias, R. (2015). Teaching of'controversial issues' in history and social science from teachers' perspective [J]. Estudios Pedagogicos, 41(1), 275-292.
• Justino, R. ve Júnior, D. G. (2017). The First World War As Depicted in History Textbooks (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, And The United Kingdom). História da Educação, 21(52), 136-155.
• Kelly, J. P. ve Aden, R. C. (2022). Perpetuating the past: US high school history textbooks and systemic racism. Journal of Applied Communication Research, 50(3), 236-252.
• Kılıçdağı, O. (2023). Time and Space Problematic in Studying Genocide: The Armenian Case 1. Critical Approaches to Genocide içinde (s. 21-40). Routledge.
• Kothari, C. R. (2004). Research methodology: Methods and techniques. New Age International. Lachmann, R. ve Mitchell, L. (2014). The Changing Face of War in Textbooks. Sociology of Education, 87, 188-203.
• Lavere, D. (2008). The Quality of Pedagogical Exercises in U.S. History Textbooks. The Social Studies, 99, 3-8. Lebow, D. (2009). Document Review Meets Social Software and the Learning Sciences. Journal of e-learning and knowledge society, 5(1), 171-180.
• Levstik, L. S. ve Tyson, C. A. (2010). Handbook of research in social studies education. New York: Routledge. Libaridian, G. J. (2004). Modern Armenia, People, Nation, State. New York: Transaction Publishers.
• Loewen, J. W. (2016). The Vietnam War in high school American history. In Censoring history (s. 150-172). New York: Routledge.
• Lomotey, K. (Ed.). (2009). Encyclopedia of african american education. Sage Publications.
• Marino, M. (2011). High School World History Textbooks: An Analysis of Content Focus and Chronological Approaches. The History Teacher, 44, 421-446.
• Martell, C. ve Hashimoto-Martell, E. (2012). Throwing out the Textbook. H. Hickman ve B.J. Porfilio (Ed.). In The New Politics of the Textbook: Critical Analysis in the Core Content Areas (s. 305–320). doi.org/10.1007/978-94-6091-930-5_17
• Mateos, U. (2000). Urfalı Mateos Vekayinâmesî (952-1136) ve Papaz Grigor’un Zeyli (1136 -1162). (H. D. Andreasyan, Çev.). Ankara: Türk Tarih Kurumu Yayınları.
• Merriam, S. B. ve Tisdell, E. J. (2016). Qualitative research: A guide to design and implementation. John Wiley & Sons.
• Mihail, S. (1944). Süryani Patrik Mihail’in Vakayinamesi, I. Kısım. (H. D. Andreasyan, Çev.). Ankara: Türk Tarih Kurumu Yayınları.
• Moje, E. B., Overby, M., Tysvaer, N. ve Morris, K. (2008). The complex world of adolescent literacy: Myths, motivations, and mysteries. Harvard Educational Review, 78(1), 107-154.
• Nieuwenhuyse, K. (2022). Teaching history as an interpretation, by using textbooks in a diachronic perspective. Annals of Social Studies Education Research for Teachers. doi.org/10.29173/assert42
• Parker, W. C. (2024). Backtalk: Teaching historical reasoning helps democracy thrive. Phi Delta Kappan, 105(5), 66-67.
• Paxton, R. (1999). A Deafening Silence: History Textbooks and the Students Who Read Them. Review of Educational Research, 69(3), 315-339. doi.org/10.3102/00346543069003315
• Salt, J. (2003). The narrative gap in Ottoman Armenian history. Middle Eastern Studies, 39(1), 19-36. doi.org/10.1080/00263200412331301587
• Saxe, D. (1994). Establishing a Voice for History in Schools: The First Methods Textbooks for History Instruction 1896-1902. Theory and Research in Social Education, 22(4), 482-514.
• Seyfeli, C. (2005). İstanbul Ermeni Patrikliği, Ankara: Aziz Andaç Yayınları.
• Shaw, S. J. (2008). The Ottoman Empire in World War I., Volume II. Ankara: Türk Tarih Kurumu Yayınları.
• Sleeter, C. E. ve Grant, C. A. (2017). Race, class, gender, and disability in current textbooks. In The politics of the textbook (s. 78-110). Routledge.
• VanSledright, B. A. (2013). Assessing historical thinking and understanding: Innovative designs for new standards. Routledge.
• Venezky, R. L. (2015). Textbooks. International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences: Second Edition.
• Wasburn, L. (1997). Accounts of Slavery: An Analysis of United States History Textbooks from 1900 to 1992. Theory and Research in Social Education, 25(4), 470-491. doi.org/10.1080/00933104.1997.10505824
• Williams, J. H. (2014). Nation, state, school, textbook. In (Re) constructing memory (s. 1-9). Brill.
• Wineburg, S. ve Martin, D. (2009). Historical thinking and history education. L. S. Levstik & C. A. Tyson (Ed.). Handbook of research in social studies education içinde (s. 315-334). Routledge.
• Yavuz, M. (2020). The Turkish-Armenian Historical Controversy: How to Name the Events of 1915?. Middle East Critique, 29(3), 345-365. doi.org/10.1080/19436149.2020.1770453
• Yıldırım, A. (2006). High school textbooks in turkey from teachers’ and students’ perspectives: The case of history textbooks. Asia Pacific Education Review, 7, 218-228. doi.org/10.1007/BF03031545
• Yogev, E. (2012). The image of the 1967 War in Israeli history textbooks as test case: studying an active past in a protracted regional conflict. Oxford Review of Education, 38(2), 171-188. doi.org/10.1080/03054985.2012.666031
• Zajda, J. (2017). The Nation-Building Process in History Textbooks: Challenges in Historical Knowledge and Understanding. In Globalisation and National Identity in History Textbooks (pp.117-123). doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-0972-7_8.
• Zarifian, J. (2015). Les médias américains et la (non-) reconnaissance du génocide des Arméniens aux États-Unis. Revue française d’études américaines, 1, 55-71.