Global Citizenship Education in Social Studies: Experiences of Turkish Teachers and Students in International Conflict and War

Yıl 2013, Cilt: 1 Sayı: 1, 7 - 30, 01.03.2013

Arife Figen Ersoy

https://doi.org/10.14689/issn.2148-2624.1.1s1m

Öz

With the impact of the media, international conflicts are increasingly becoming a part of both everyday life and global citizenship education. The purpose of this research was to understand the perceptions of students and teachers about the incidents of international conflict and war, how teachers present these issues in social studies course, and the problems teachers encounter in this process. This study was carried out as a qualitative case study research. The data were collected by participant observations carried out in Social Studies lessons and by semi-structured interviews with the participating teachers and students. The data were analyzed using interpretive thematic analysis. The findings from this study revealed that the teachers in this study acted in protective, emotional, rational and tentative modes while teaching the issues of international conflict and war. The study also found that the teachers’ behaviors while teaching controversial issues had an influence on the students’ knowledge, skills and attitudes on the subject. In addition, the students’ age and maturity level, gender, socio-economic and cultural level had an influence on learning about these issues. Finally, the findings indicated that the teachers who participated in this study did not have sufficient knowledge and experience in teaching controversial issues and international conflict and war.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Social studies, citizenship education, global citizenship, controversial issues, conflict and war, peace education

Sosyal Bilgiler Dersinde Küresel Vatandaşlık Eğitimi: Uluslararası Çatışma ve Savaşlara İlişkin Türk Öğretmen ve Öğrencilerin Deneyimleri

Öz

Uluslararası çatışmalar medyanın etkisiyle gerek günlük yaşamın gerekse de küresel vatandaşlık eğitiminin bir parçası haline gelmeye başlamıştır. Bu araştırmanın amacı, uluslararası çatışma ve savaş olaylarını Türk öğretmen ve öğrencilerin nasıl algıladıklarını, bu konulara sosyal bilgiler derslerinde nasıl yer verildiğini ve karşılaşılan sorunların neler olduğunu anlamaktır. Araştırma nitel durum çalışması olarak gerçekleştirilmiştir. Veriler katılımcı gözlem ve yarı-yapılandırılmış görüşmelerle toplanmıştır. Veriler yorumlamacı tematik analiz ile analiz edilmiştir. Araştırmada öğretmenlerin uluslararası çatışma ve savaş konularını öğretirken koruyucu, duygusal, akılcı ve çekimser tarzlarda davrandıkları ortaya çıkmıştır. Ayrıca çalışmada, öğretmenlerin tartışmalı konuları öğretirken öğrencilerin konuya ilişkin bilgileri, becerileri ve tutumların da etkilendikleri bulunmuştur. Ek olarak öğrencilerin yaş ve olgunluk düzeyleri, cinsiyetleri, sosyo-ekonomik ve kültürel düzeyleri de tartışmalı konuları öğrenmelerini etkilemektedir. Sonuç olarak, bu çalışmanın bulguları öğretmenlerin uluslararası çatışma, savaş ve tartışmalı konuların öğretiminde yeterli bilgi ve deneyime sahip olmadıklarını göstermektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Sosyal bilgiler, vatandaşlık eğitimi, küresel vatandaşlık, tartışmalı konular, çatışma ve savaş, barış eğitimi

Kaynakça

• Ålvik, T. (1968). The development of views on conflict, war, and peace among school children: A Norwegian case study. Journal of Peace Research, 5(2), 171-195. Barnett, L. (1999). Children and war. Medicine, Conflict and Survival, 15(4), 315-327.
• Bickmore, K. (1997). Preparation for pluralism: curricular and extra-curricular practice with conflict resolution. Theory Into Practice, 36(1), 3-10.
• Bickmore, K. (1993). Conflict matters: Teaching about peace in the social studies curriculum. Thresholds in Education, 19(3), 25-33.
• Biton, Y. & Salomon, G. (2006). Peace in the eyes of Israeli and Palestinian Youths: Effects of collective narratives and peace education program Journal of Peace Research, 43(2), 167-180.
• Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77-101.
• Brown, E. J., & Morgan, W. J. (2008). A culture of peace via global citizenship education. Peace Review: A Journal of Social Justice, 20, 283-291.
• Crick, B. (1998). Education for citizenship and teaching of democracy in schools: Final report of the advisory group on citizenship. London: Qualifications and Curriculum Authority.
• Davies, L. (2005a). Teaching about conflict through citizenship education. International Journal of Citizenship and Teacher Education, 1(2), 17-34.
• Davies, L. (2005b). Schools and war: Urgent agendas for comparative and international education. Compare, 35(4), 357-371.
• Demir, S. (2011). An overview of peace education in Turkey: Definitions, difficulties, and suggestions: A qualitative analysis. Educational Sciences: Theory & Practice, 11, 1739-1745.
• Evans, C. S. (1987). Teaching a global perspective in elementary classrooms. The Elementary School Journal, 87, 544-555.
• Field, S. L., Burlbaw, L. M., & Davis, O. L. (1994). I think there was a storm in the desert’: Using narrative to assess children’s historical understanding of the gulf war. Social Studies, 85(6), 256-261.
• Frydenberg, E., Lewis, R., Ardila, R., Cairns, E., & Kennedy, G. (2001). Adolescent concern with social issues: An exploratory comparison between Australian, Colombian, and Northern Irish Students. Peace and Conflict: Journal of Peace Psychology, 7(1), 59-76.
• Geddie, L., & Hildreth, G. (1944). Children’s ideas about the war. Journal of Experimental Education, 13, 92-97.
• Goldin, S., Levin, L., Persson, Lars Å., & Hägglöf, B. (2001). Stories of pre-war, war and exile: Bosnian refugee children in Sweden. Medicine, Conflict and Survival, 17(1), 25-47.
• Haavelsrud, M. (1970). Views on war and peace among students in West Berlin public schools. Journal of Peace Research, 7(2), 99-120.
• Hakvoort, I., & Oppenheimer, L. (1993). Children and adolescents’ conceptions of peace, war, and strategies to attain peace: A Dutch case study. Journal of Peace Research, 30(1), 65-77.
• Hall, R. (1993). How children think and feel about war and peace: An Australian study. Journal of Peace Research, 30(2), 181-196.
• Harwood, A. M., & Hahn, C. L. (1990). Controversial issues in the classroom. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED327453).
• Hess, D. (2004). Controversies about controversial issues in democratic education. Political Science & Politics, 257-261. [online] Retrieved October 15, 2010, from http://www.apsanet.org .
• Hoffman , M. A., & Bizman, A. (1996). Attributions and responses to the Arab-Israeli conflict: A developmental analysis. Child Development, 67, 117-128.
• Ishii, Y. (2001) Teaching about international responsibilities: A comparative analysis of the political construction of development education in schools. Comparative Education, 37(3), 329-344.
• Kreidler, W. J. (1984). Creative conflict resolution: Over 200 activities for keeping peace in the classroom K-6. Glenview, IL: Scott, Foresman.
• Kurt, W. J. (1999). The Bosnian war crimes trial simulation: Teaching students about the fuzziness of world politics and international law. Political Science and Politics, 32(3), 588-592.
• Levine, M. P., & Cox, D. (205). Teaching war and violence to the like-minded. Peace Review: A Journal of Social Justice, 17, 247-259. Lincoln, Y. S., & Guba, E. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. Newbury Park. CA: Sage.
• Marshall, H. (2009). Educating the European citizen in the global age: engaging with the post- national and identifying a research agenda. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 41, 247–267.
• Maoz, I. (2000). An experiment in peace: Reconciliation-aimed workshops of JewishIsraeli and Palestinian Youth. Journal of Peace Research, 37(6), 721-736.
• Merryfield, M. M., & Remy, R.C. (1995). Choosing content and methods for teaching about international conflict and peace. In Teaching about international conflict and peace. Merryfield, M. M., & Remy, R. C. (Eds.), (pp.3-40). Albany: State University of New York Press.
• Năstase, A. (1983). The culture of peace and peace education. International Review of Education, 29(3), 391-401.
• Oxfam (2005). Making sense of world conflicts. Activities and source materials for teachers of English, Citizenship and PSE Written by Cathy Midwinter. Oxfam Development Education, UK (Oxford, Oxfam GB).
• Oxfam (2006a). Global citizenship guides: Teaching controversial issues. Oxfam Development Education, UK (Oxford, Oxfam GB).
• Oxfam (2006b). Curriculum for global citizenship: a guide for schools. Oxfam Development Education, UK Retrieved from ww.oxfam.org.uk/~/media/ Files/Education/Global%20Citizenship/education_for_global_citizenship_a_ guide_for_schools.ashx
• Prutzman, P., & Johnson, J. (1997). Bias awareness and multiple perspectives: Essential aspects of conflict resolution, Theory into Practice, 36(1), 26-31.
• Prutzman, P. (1994). Bias-related incidents, hate crimes and conflict resolution. Education and Urban Society, 27(1), 71-81.
• Quillen, I. J. (1944). Education for world citizenship. Annals of the American academy of political and social science. 235, 122-127.
• Shamania, M., & Kimhib, S. (2006). Exposure to threat of war and terror, political attitudes stress, and life satisfaction among teenagers in Israel, Journal of Adolescence, 29, 165-176.
• Srour, R. W., & Srour, A. (2006). Communal and familial war-related stress factors: The case of the Palestinian child. Journal of Loss and Trauma, 11, 289-309.
• UNESCO (1992). Education for human rights, peace and democracy. Paris, France: UNESCO.
• UNICEF (1995). Children working for peace. United Nations Children’s Fund with Oxford Development Education Centre.
• UNICEF (2007). Violence prevention and peace building. Retrieved 15 October, 2010, from http://www.unicef.org/lifeskills/index_violence_peace.html?q=printme Wilson, E. K., Hass, M. E., Lauglin, M. A., & Sunal, C. S. (2002). Teacher’s perspectives on incorporating current controversial issues into the social studies curriculum. The International Social Studies Forum, 2(1), 31-45.
• Yamashita, H. (2006). Global citizenship education and war: the needs of teachers and learners. Educational Review, 58, 27-39. Author Contact Arife Figen ERSOY, PhD, is currently an associate professor at the social studies education. Her research interests include social studies education, citizenship education, democracy and human rights education, and children’s right education.