A Foundational Perspective for Spatial Thinking in Relation to Social Studies Curriculum and Middle School Textbooks in Turkey

Abstract

Social Studies is a middle school course that unites social science disciplines and contributes to
developing an understandi ng about the social existence of humans. It is reported that existing
studies have simply focused only on the 2005 Social Studies Curriculum and omitted focus on
relevant textbooks. Within such a context the aim of the current study is to present the curre nt state
of spatial thinking skills in relation to the 2018 Social Studies Curriculum and middle school textbooks
in Turkey. Furthermore, the study aims to analyze the coordination that exists between curriculum
and textbooks around spatial thinking. To ac hieve the aims of the current study, the technique of
document analysis technique occurs through examination of Social Studies Curriculum and middle
school textbooks. By the end of this research it was detected that in the 5 th grade, the total number
of opportunities for students to gain or develop the skills of spatial thinking was 8, and the total
number of units in the textbook about spatial thinking was 12; in the 6 th grade, the total number of
opportunities for students t o gain or develop the skills of spatial thinking was 7, and the total number
of units in textbook about spatial thinking was 12; and finally, in the 7 th grade, the total number of
opportunities for students to gain or develop the skills of spatial thinkin g was 3, and the total number
of units in textbook about spatial thinking was 5. Based on these results it can be argued that in
Turkey there is not a full coordination or alignment between the 2018 Social Studies curriculum and
relevant textbooks about sp atial thinking.