Abstract:

This study aims to determine the cultural elements in the theme of National Culture in the Turkish textbooks (of 5th,6th,7th, and 8th grades) which were in the curriculum of middle schools during the 2017-2018 Academic Year. For this purpose, both reading texts and leisure reading texts, 19 in total, which were in the determined themes, have been examined, and in these themes, the frequency of cultural elements, which have been ranked under 16 categories by consulting expert opinion, have been determined. In the study which uses the quantitative research method, the data have been collected via document scanning method, and data analysis has been provided with content analysis technique. At the end of the research, it has been determined that cultural elements are most common in the 8th grade Turkish textbook National Cultural theme, and least common in 6th grade Turkish textbook National Culture theme. It has been determined that the National Culture themes of four distinct books, which have been examined based on their grade levels, have been shaped within the frames of folkloric elements, and cultural elements that are pertaining to language; and that they have what can be considered a weak content of military service, means of livelihood (economics), ancestor sports, education, traditional arts/artists/artworks, history, as well as great Turkish figures.