EXAMINATION OF VALUES FOUND IN THE READING PASSAGES OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 5TH GRADE TURKISH TEXTBOOK

The objective of this study is to determine the values in the reading passages of elementary school 5th grade Turkish textbook. Qualitative research design was benefited in this study. The research population is composed of a 5th grade Turkish textbook which was distributed to elementary schools for free by the Ministry of Education in 2010-2011 academic year. The research group consists of 12 passages chosen out of both compulsory and selective reading passages in 5th grade elementary Turkish textbook. By examining the passages in research group, values were detected as a result of analysis. The order of the most common values was as follows: love, helpfulness, aesthetics, collaboration, responsibility and being successful. The order of the least common values was as follows: pity, friendship, courage, truth, self-sacrifice, mannerliness, heroism, ambition, affection, consciousness of national unity, loyalty and prudence. According to the results of the study it was found that the reading passages in elementary school fifth grade Turkish textbook did not include sufficient values to teach children and the values were not distributed proportionally with the themes. It was emphasized that the passages that support value transfer should get more attention in designing textbooks.