Investigation of the Social Studies Curriculum of Türkiye and Italy in the Context of Citizenship Education: A Comparative Study

Abstract

This study aims to compare the citizenship education in Italy and Türkiye in terms of knowledge, skills and values. In this context, the secondary school history, geography and citizenship education curriculum taught within the scope of the unidisciplinary social studies approach in Italy and the social studies course curriculum taught in Türkiye were examined. Comparisons were carried out at 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th grade levels. Content analysis method was used to analyze the data obtained, and the codes emerged as a result of the analyzes were presented in tables. In line with the results obtained, it is seen that Italy and Türkiye give weight to high-level thinking skills similar to the skills education dimension of citizenship education, and the programme being taught in Türkiye is more intense than the Italian curriculum in terms of value dimension; in both countries, diligence, respect, responsibility, patriotism, freedom/independence, solidarity, respect for cultural heritage and sensitivity values were emphasized; in the knowledge dimension, individual, social, cultural, economic, political, legal, historical, religious, professional, scientific, traditional and current issues were emphasized in Türkiye; in Italy, as well as these issues ecological citizenship and the European Union system were discussed. In line with the findings, suggestions were made to expand the scope of citizenship education in Türkiye with the dimensions of knowledge, skills and values, and to explicitly address the targeted skills and values in citizenship education in Italy.