Abstract:

This study aimed to examine the concept of family covered by Life Sciences textbooks. To that end, how frequently the concepts regarding family are used, roles of family members and activities in the subjects about family in the Life Sciences textbooks on the primary school first, second, and third grade levels were examined. In this study conducted in the qualitative research design, document review was employed, and the data obtained were subjected to a descriptive analysis. In light of the data obtained, it was seen that many concepts about nuclear and extended families are addressed in the unit of Life at Home in the primary school first and second grades. However, other units only include the concepts about nuclear family. It was found that no data are included in the primary school first and second-grade textbooks about the roles of maternal grandmother, paternal grandmother, grandmother, grandfather, and dede (a generic word used either for maternal or paternal grandfather in the Turkish culture). The primary third-grade textbook includes the roles of dede and paternal grandmother only in the unit of Life at Home. Regarding the activities about family in the primary school first, second and third-grade textbooks, few activities that activate the student in the classroom are included in the textbooks, and the textbooks generally involve activities based on expressing child’s thoughts and feelings.

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