Culture and cultural heritage in the social studies course curricula (2018 and 2024)

Abstract

Since individuals achieve social cohesion by embracing culture, and societies exist and develop through their cultures, the transmission of culture and its products, namely cultural heritage, is considered important. The transmission of culture and cultural heritage is made possible through cultural heritage education, and this education is carried out in schools through certain courses. The social studies course is among the courses in which cultural heritage content is most extensively included. Social studies course fulfills this function through its curricula. In this context, the aim of the study is to examine the 2018 and 2024 Social Studies Course Curricula in terms of culture and cultural heritage elements. The study was conducted using the document review method, one of the qualitative research methods, and the data source consisted of the 2018 and 2024 Social Studies Course Curricula. Document analysis was used in the analysis of data obtained from the curricula. According to the findings obtained from the research, in the 2018 and 2024 Social Studies Course Curricula, statements related to art, cultural values, lifestyles, cultural competencies, national consciousness, historical consciousness, language, religion and beliefs, historical figures, cultural institutions, historical artifacts and sites, family history and dynamics, economy and livelihood, significant days and celebrations, scientific knowledge and practices, forms of governance, educational systems, defense systems, and sport were identified, whereas no statement related to ways of thinking was found. Since ways of thinking are absent from both the 2018 and 2024 curricula, it is recommended that this issue be taken into consideration in future revisions of the curriculum.