Elementary and the Social Studies Teachers’ Perceptions Related to the Reflections of the 12-Year Compulsory Education on the Social Studies Course

The primary aims of educational institutions include training individuals who have the characteristics that the society, developing world. Educational institutions can perform such functions by adapting their systems to the requirements of the age, and preparing and developing their programs accordingly. In recent years, the 12-year compulsory education system has been one of these changes made by the Ministry of National Education. This development affected the social studies course. With the fifth grade being included in middle school, social studies teachers started to teach the social studies course instead of elementary teachers. The aim of this study was to identify elementary and social studies teachers perceptions related to the reflections of the 12-year compulsory education on the social studies course. Phenomenological design was employed in the study. The data were gathering using the interview technique. In data analysis, content analysis was used. Differences were revealed in the views of the social studies and elementary teachers in terms of teaching fifth graders after the elementary school and middle school division. While the social studies teachers featured the necessity of their expertise related to their subject in teaching fifth graders, the elementary teachers pointed out the importance of education that was suitable to the level of children.