Concept Teaching in a History Course: An Analysis of Secondary Education History Curriculum and Course Books in Turkey

The purpose of this study was to review concept teaching for a history course, and analyze and compare the case of secondary education history curriculum and course books in Turkey in this context over the past decade. The concepts to be taught were written item-by-item in the 10th-grade (2008) history course curriculum, whereas this was not the case in the 9th- (2007) and 11th- (2009) grade history course curricula. The history course curricula that was prepared for the 9th, 10th, and 11th grades in 2018, and consolidated into a booklet, drew attention to the importance of concept teaching and aimed to teach the concepts within the course; however, it did not specify the concepts to be taught in this curriculum. While examining the history course books prepared for secondary education, it was observed that the 9th-grade history course book prepared in 2009 introduced the concepts under the heading ‘Basic Concepts' at the beginning of each subject, and the 10th-grade history course book introduced the concepts under the heading ‘Basic Concepts' at the beginning of each unit; however, there was no list of concepts in the 11th-grade history course book, neither at the beginning of the unit nor at the beginning of the subject. As a result, it may be suggested that the target concepts should be introduced word-by-word in history course curricula and these concepts should be taught in history course books using alternative teaching methods.