The Development of Human Rights and Responsibilities in The Republic Period Primary School Life Science Textbooks

Abstract

The aim of this research is to examine the inclusion of human rights responsibilities in primary school Life Studies textbooks from the foundation of the republic to the present. For this, primary school 3rd grade Life Studies textbooks are focused. One or two books were selected from each decade using the purposive sampling technique. Document analysis, one of the qualitative research methods, was used in the research. The data obtained from the research were subjected to content analysis and descriptive analysis. According to the data obtained from the research, the emphasis on nationalization is in the foreground in the textbooks between the years 1930-1950. In the 1960s, it was seen that human rights and responsibilities were presented very limitedly. After the 1970s, progress has been made in the context of human rights and responsibilities. However, more obedient citizen model has been adopted. This situation continued in the textbooks until the 1980s. With the influence of the 1982 Constitution, human rights in textbooks showed a significant improvement compared to previous years. However, the real improvement occurred in the 2000s. This development has been experienced especially in terms of the diversity of rights and responsibilities. Two prominent concepts are “privacy of private life” and “fair trial”. As a result, it is aimed to raise citizens who are suitable for the mentality of the period through education in Turkey. It can be said that the Life Studies textbooks, which also deal with citizenship education, are affected by the mentality and current problems of the periods.