Analysis of Analogies in Social Studies

Abstract

This study examines the amount and types of analogies in the Social Studies textbooks used in the 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th-grades in primary education in the 2020-2021 academic year. In this qualitative study, data were compiled using the document analysis technique, and the Social Studies textbooks at the 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th grades were examined as documents. In this study, content analysis was used to identify analogies in textbooks, descriptive analysis was used to classify analogies according to their types and learning areas, and the findings were tabulated. As a result of the research, it has been determined that the analogies in the Social Studies textbooks are mainly of the "personal analogy" type, and the utilization of analogies increases as the grade level increases. In addition, it has been concluded that analogies are not homogeneously distributed across learning areas, and they are not at a sufficient level in terms of quantity and quality. As a result of the study, suggestions were made within the scope of Social Studies Education, such as increasing awareness about analogies and encouraging the use of analogies, enriching existing analogies by presenting them with visuals and aspects to be improved.