Enlarged partial agreement

Observatory on History Teaching in Europe

History is first included in the curriculum as part of the compulsory multidisciplinary course “Social studies” in grade 4 (age 9), continuing until grade 7 (age 12).  From grade 8 (age 13) onwards, students take “History of the Turkish Republic” (grades 8 and 12; ages 13 and 17) and “History” (grades 9 to 11; ages 14-16) until the final year of public schooling, regardless of the school form they attend.

Other additional history courses are offered from grade 8 onwards, depending on school form. For example, students at fine arts schools (güzel sanatlar lisesi) take the compulsory course “General art history” in grade 10, while those at sports high schools (spor lisesi) take the compulsory course “Physical education and sports history” in grade 12. Some courses are compulsory only for some school forms but elective for others: for example, “History of Turkish culture and civilisation” and “Contemporary Turkish and world history” are compulsory only for students at social science high schools (sosyal bilimler lisesi). Some courses such as “Common Turkish history” and “History of Islamic science” are offered across all school forms but only on an elective basis. In some cases, the same courses are offered at different grades across different school forms. 

History is taught only in the Turkish language. Private schools, religious İmam Hatip schools and minority schools follow the same history curriculum as public schools. 

Note: For more detailed information, see OHTE General Report on the State of History Teaching in Europe, Vol. 2 (Country Sheets)

The history curricula are developed by the Ministry of National Education. The curriculum combines a chronological and thematic approach. Concept teaching is seen as an important part of the programme.  Furthermore, the curriculum expects learners to develop specific historical thinking skills in terms of chronological thinking and historical comprehension, as well as the ability to establish cause and effect relationships, the ability to perceive change and continuity, historical analysis and interpretation skills, historical problem analysis and decision-making skills, and historical empathy.  In addition to the emphasis on historical thinking skills, the history curriculum also aims to develop a sense of national identity and belonging among learners.

The education authorities reported that neither civil society organisations nor minority groups are involved in curriculum design.

The authorities report that minority groups (cultural, ethnic, linguistic, national, religious or sexual/gender) are included in the history curriculum; however, these do not include Roma and Travellers.

 Curricula workstation by GEI (History curricula search by country)

The assessment methods that teachers are required to use are portfolios, essays, oral presentations/exams, knowledge-based questions, source-based questions and multiple-choice questions.

End-of-stage examinations are taken for every history course at every grade and are set at the national level.

End-of-stage examinations assess the following fields of knowledge: historical content knowledge, historical thinking competences (e.g., critical analysis and evaluation of evidence, formulation and justification of historical arguments, consideration of different perspectives), social and civic competences (e.g., conflict resolution skills, demonstrating empathy, respect for diversity), generic skills (e.g., communication, co-operation, use of ICT).

End-of-stage examinations are written and consist of multiple-choice questions.

All educational materials are developed by private-sector organisations and the Ministry of National Education. They are evaluated and selected by commissions composed of representatives from the Ministry of National Education, academics, and teachers, according to a points-based scoring system. Teachers are not permitted to use materials that are not licensed by the authorities.

Policies on the use of different types of educational resources are as follows:

REQUIRED	ENCOURAGED	ALLOWED	NO POLICY
History textbooks	Apps for smartphones and tablets with historical content Artefacts (e.g., paintings, architecture, sculptures, contemporary art) Audio sources (e.g., music, the sound of a steam engine) Audiovisual sources (e.g., newsreels, private archives, commercials) Cinema and documentaries with historical themes Historiographical  bibliography Museums and other places of heritage interpretation Oral sources (interviews with grandparents, relatives, neighbours, etc.) Primary documentary sources Visual sources (e.g., paintings, photographs, drawings) Websites and databases with historical content approved by the educational authorities	Literature (e.g., historical novels, graphic novels) Local cultural heritage (e.g., costumes, food traditions, celebrations) Local and regional festivals and traditions related to historical events Printed or digital press (newspapers and magazines) Reports on historical topics in popular magazines Search engines and websites with historical content not necessarily validated by the education authorities Teacher notes	Video games

 International TextbookCat (GEI collection of Textbooks and Educational Media)

Prospective teachers must complete an initial teacher-training programme lasting four years (or five years in the case of a history degree combined with the Pedagogical Formation Education Certificate programme in a 4+1 scheme). Candidates must take the entrance examination administered by the Measurement, Selection and Placement Centre (OSYM). All teachers must be accredited by the Council of Higher Education.

At the primary school level, teachers receive general training to teach across a range of disciplines. At the secondary level, teachers are trained exclusively or primarily as history teachers.

In-service professional development courses are optional. They are provided by the Ministry of Education and cover topics in pedagogy, methodology, digital literacy and various approaches to teaching. The average duration of a training course is five days.

 History Educators’ Union Association of Türkiye (presentation by EuroClio)