Abstract
Persons in Social Studies Textbooks
This study aims to examine the persons narrated in the social studies textbooks in
terms of their Turkish-Islamic origin, whether the approach to them is biased or not, their
professional fields and gender. The research was conducted with the document analysis
technique based on the qualitative research model. The research group consisted of 5th-7th
grade social studies textbooks used in Turkey in 2017. The data collection method of the
research is document review. The content analysis method was used for data analysis.
Of content analysis techniques, frequency, categorical and evaluative analysis methods
were used. According to the findings of the study, it was found that mostly neutral and
partially positive-biased approach is adopted towards influential people included in the
textbooks and no negative-biased approach is adopted, Turkish-Islamic persons are given
more place in the textbooks compared to people of other origins, there is no difference in
the approaches towards Turkish-Islamic persons and people of different origins, about
one-tenth of persons included in the textbooks are female, the most common professions
of the persons are statesmen, thinkers, scholars and scientists, artists and merchants,
respectively, Turkish-Islamic persons are more intensely included in terms of science and
thinkers.
Keywords
Content Analysis, Social studies, Textbook, Turkish-Islam, Persons.