مرکز منطقه ای اطلاع رساني علوم و فناوري - Comparison Of Teachers Views On The Content Of Democracy Education İn Secondary Schools

Abstract :

The aim of this study is to compare the qualification of the content of democracy education in the secondary schools in Austria and in rapidly democratizing Turkey by determining the teachers’ notions. The survey was carried out on the basis of case study of qualitative research designs. This study group of the research encompasses the social science teachers located in the centre of the Diyarbakır province with a total of 100 teachers of history and social science teachers serving in the secondary schools located in the centre of Vienna. In the research, criterion sampling from purposive sampling methods was used for selection of the study group. Semi-structured interview including five open-ended questions was applied for assessing the notions on democracy education of the history and social science teachers forming the study group in Turkey and in Austria. Although the perceptions of the democracy concept of teachers in Turkey and in Austria are different, it is identified that general perceptions are united around “freedom of speech”. It is determined that acquisitions based on democracy education in the curriculums which are in the secondary schools in Turkey are disqualified by teachers, and acquisitions based on democracy education in the curriculums which are prepared and implemented in the secondary schools in Austria are found adequate by teachers. Acquisitions and values for democracy education in the secondary schools in Austria are transferred to the students mostly by basing on social learning theory. Though in Turkey teachers are lack of qualification about the democracy education intended to transfer attributes to the students, it is stated that there aren’t many cases in Austria those like in Turkey. It was observed that the contents within curriculums prepared for democracy education in Turkey was not enough but in Austria the content was enough. It is defined that democracy education in Turkey is mostly oriented to the values; however, in Austria for the knowledge.