Adequacy of the Social Studies Curriculum in terms of Cultural Literacy Skills

Abstract

Being culturally literate means being prone and competent to be sensitive to one's own and others' identities, heritages, and cultures. It is very important for students to learn about other cultures and races in order to avoid unnecessary prejudices. In this sense, cultural literacy is a powerful educational tool used to adopt one's own culture and to develop understanding and respect for different cultures and people. Indeed, cultural literacy can be a window for other students to experience new ways of seeing the world as a rich and complex place. This study aims to reveal the adequacy of the Social Studies Curriculum updated in 2017 in terms of cultural literacy skills. The data of the research, which was carried out by adopting a qualitative research approach, were obtained through document analysis. The data obtained from the research were analyzed in accordance with the document review stages. In this context, seven learning areas within the Social Studies Curriculum were examined in detail.