Social Studies Teachers' Views On Decision-Making Skill

Abstract

The aim of this study is to examine the views of social studies teachers on decision-making skills, the development of decision-making skills of learners, the development of decision-making skills in the classroom environment, and the inclusion of decision-making skills in the social studies curriculum. The study was conducted in seven different secondary schools in Turkey in the autumn and spring semesters of the 2020/2021 academic year. The study group of the research consists of eight social studies teachers. The study was designed according to the qualitative research design. The data of the study were collected with the "Decision Making Skills Teacher Interview Form" for social studies teachers. Content analysis was used to analyse the qualitative data. MAXQDA software was used to analyse the data of the study. According to the views of social studies teachers on decision-making skills, they emphasised that decision-making has a vital importance in human life; according to the views of teachers on the development of decision-making skills of their students, students do not apply the decision-making process in their own decisions; according to the views of teachers on the development of decision-making skills in the classroom environment, students are involved in the decision-making process in limited subjects in the classroom; according to the views of teachers on the inclusion of decision-making skills in the social studies curriculum, the social studies course is a course for life, the social studies course has a role and effect on the development of decision-making skills as it provides children with the opportunity to transfer this skill to their daily lives. In terms of the intensity of the curriculum, it was concluded that there were problems in the development of decision-making skills due to the insufficient duration of the course and the pressure to complete the curriculum. Based on these results, it can be suggested to carry out in-class and in-family observation-based researches on decision-making skills, to conduct experimental researches to determine the applicability in the classroom, to make school, teacher, family cooperation for the development of decision-making skills, and to include more activities in the classroom.