The Views of Classroom Teachers on the Instruction of Current Issues

Abstract

The present study aimed to determine the views of classroom teachers on the inclusion or exclusion of current issues in classroom instruction, to investigate these views based on the definition of current issues, the methods and techniques employed in the instruction of current issues, the analysis of the instruction, and the positive and negative consequences of the instruction of these issues in the classroom. The present research was conducted with the case study method. The maximum diversity sampling method was employed to assign the study group members. The study group included 10 classroom teachers employed in seven primary schools in Battalgazi, Yesilyurt, Doğanşehir, and Hekimhan districts in Malatya province, Turkey. The study data were collected with a semi-structured interview form. Content analysis and continuous comparative data analysis were employed. The participants stated that the discussion of current issues in the classroom would lead to positive outcomes such as the development of student empathy, instruction of tolerance for different ideas, development of the problem-solving skills, sensibility, and communication skills, and negative outcomes such as problems in peer relations, behavioral disorders, negative reactions, and conflict. It was determined that classroom teachers mostly discussed controversial issues such as Covid 19, environmental pollution and natural disasters, and the student-initiated discussions on Covid 19 and natural disasters in the classroom. About 20% of the participating primary school teachers stated that the level of proficiency of their colleagues was low in the instruction of current events.