Investigating of Graduate Theses on the Use of Authentic Learning Approach in Social Studies Education in Turkey

Abstract

Social studies aims to help primary and secondary school students gain knowledge, skills, and values related to social life and to become effective citizens. The realization of this purpose is possible through the use of effective learning approaches. One of these approaches in social studies education is authentic learning. It is aimed to examine the postgraduate theses on the use of authentic learning in social studies education. Within this purpose; graduate level, year of publication, university of publication, research method used, model/design, sampling technique, data collection tools, and data analysis techniques of the theses were examined. Document analysis, one of the qualitative research methods, was used in the study. The data sources of the study consisted of graduate theses in which authentic learning was used in social studies education. The data sources of the research were accessed by scanning the National Thesis Scanning Catalog of the Council of Higher Education. Descriptive analysis technique was used to analyze the data. It was determined that the theses examined in the study were mostly at the doctoral level and intensified in the period after 2017. It was also determined that the theses were published in different universities in Turkey, were mostly conducted with mixed research method, and were carried out with different research designs. It was also determined that various sampling techniques, data collection tools, and data analysis techniques were used in the theses. Based on the results, suggestions were made for the further use of authentic learning approach in social studies education.