Search

In this study, the curricula of Social Sciences courses (history, geography, citizenship, economics ) at the upper secondary level, the objectives, contents, instruction and assessment methods and techniques of the courses in Turkey, Germany, France, England and the USA are compared. Based on the data and using mainly the horizontal approach, a curriculum model is suggested for the social science education at the upper secondary level in Turkey. The websites of the ministries of education and related networks were investigated and curricula of social sciences courses, related laws as well as articles accessed were made use of through documentary and literary survey method in completing the study. The findings of the study show that social science teaching at the upper secondary level in Turkey is based on a disciplinary approach and puts emphasis on national elements. It is essential to implement an inter-discipliner approach in social science teaching at the upper secondary level in Turkey or employ some thematic strands which consist of both national and universal themes and values to construct new curricula of social sciences courses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Electronic Turkish Studies is the property of Electronic Turkish Studies and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Exam anxiety can be described as the variable which prevents the efficient use of the student's knowledge during the exam and decreases the success. However, a study about the effects of form and quality of the assessment and evaluation instruments used in higher education on exam anxiety, is not encountered. Seventy 4th grade students from Celal Bayar University, Faculty of Education, department of social sciences education, 37 of whom took part in the experiment group and 33 of whom formed the control group, participated in this study which aims to search for the effects of assessment and evaluation instruments on students' exam anxiety. Three assessment instruments are applied to these students. First assessment instrument is a multiple-choice instrument which is prepared according to the 20 traditional question writing rules, has only one true answer and in which students look for the solution of an imaginary condition. This traditional multiple-choice test is applied to the control group. The other assessment instrument expresses the current and real education situations taking place in the faculty they are attending, based on their lives. This assessment instrument is applied to the experiment group. Also a opinion scale is applied in which the students are asked to express their anticipated success and to what extend they understand the subjects. This scale is applied both before and after the exam so as to determine whether traditional and new assessment instruments increase students own learning and success perceptions. Collected data is subjected to item analysis and analysis of covariance. When the study findings are examined, it is seen that applying the alternative exam positively affects the students' exam anxiety and thus their exam success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]