Investigation of Meanings Attached to the Concept of Motherland in the Context of Change and Continuity in Social Studies Teaching

Social studies is defined as a lesson that integrates social science disciplines with citizenship, democracy and human rights issues and gains speed from collective education in order to contribute to the realization of the social existence of the individual. In this sense, history is a critical discipline in social studies teaching in the transfer of national and moral values. National and spiritual values are formed with the impact of change and continuity powers from the past till today. Within this frame the purpose of research is to define the meanings attached to the concept of motherland with respect to change continuity. For this purpose first of all current approaches of students in relating to the concept of motherland has been revealed and then, in order to fulfill curriculum requirements, Gokturk Inscriptions have been processed and student opinions have been obtained regarding how the concept of motherland could be at the period when the inscriptions were established. The research was designed in accordance with the general qualitative research method. Study group was composed of 20 students attending 6th class of a rural junior school. Students have been selected with criterion case sampling. Data collection tools are open ended questionnaire form and unstructured discussion. Data have been analyzed as inductive and descriptive. While meanings attached to the concept of motherland by students with respect to today's perspective were mainly Borders, internal security, and national integration, meanings attached to the concept of motherland for the period when the inscriptions have been established were World and a geography with unspecified borders. As a result, it can be said that students take the historical context into account and Kok Turkish Inscriptions contribute to taking the perspective of a historical period in the context of the motherland concept.