Investigation of the English Books in Secondary Education Within the Context of Multiculturalism

It is aimed in this research to present to what extend the items such as everyday living, living conditions, interpersonal relations, values, beliefs and attitudes, body language, social conventions, ritual behaviours, geography and stereotypes are included in the English language course books was targeted, in the light of multiculturalism through emphasizing globalisation and global citizenship. In the study, qualitative research methods were carried out in the analytical research design and document analysis was conducted. Texts in English course books, workbooks and teachers’ books take part in preparatory, 9, 10, 11 and 12. grades in secondary education, in the 2018-2019 academic year were investigated with reference to reading, writing, speaking and listening parts and visuals in the books were studied. Items within the scope of sociocultural knowledge in the section of User/Learners’ Competences in Common European Framework for References are treated as the criteria for multiculturalism. In this study, the literature review has been employed as a descriptive data collection method and data were analyzed by descriptive content-analysis method. Values, beliefs and attitudes is the most emphasized category and interpersonal relationship is the least emphasized category in the books analysed. The multicultural items are mostly represented in Progress Preparatory Class students’ book and workbook and least represents Count Me in 12. Grade students’ book and workbook. Findings elaborated that there is an imbalance in the distribution of cultural items in terms of quality and quantity in the course books which are analyzed. Findings are not in line with the aims of foreign language teaching programmes of secondary schools and fundamental principles of multiculturalism.