مرکز منطقه ای اطلاع رساني علوم و فناوري - INVESTIGATION INTO CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES AND TABOO TOPICS: SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHERS’ PERSPECTIVES

Abstract :

There is a lack of educational research on controversial issues and taboo topics in Turkey. To address this gap in the literature, this study examined social studies teachers’ perspectives on controversial issues and taboo topics by employing qualitative research methods. Analysis of research data indicated that all participants were against taboos, viewing them as incompatible with the principles of democracy especially with freedom of thought. Many of the topics that were considered to be controversial and taboo by the participants have to do with political history. Most participants gave examples from the late periods of the Ottomans and the early history of the Turkish Republic to explain what topics they thought as taboo. The most commonly found taboo topics had to do with Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and his reform movements. The majority of participants were found to avoid holding discussions on controversial issues or taboo topics with their students for different reasons. They thought that even though students were eager to deal with this kind of issues, they lacked some communication and social skills to get involved in discussion on those topics. Gender of the participants was found to affect their views on the research topic.