Abstract:

The aim of this study is to draw attention to certain problems in the teaching of multidimensional concepts that constitute an important place in the content of social studies. These problems were addressed based on the conceptualizations of "conceptual teaching trajectories and conceptual-semantic gaps." The first problem is the lack of a teaching trajectory for multidimensional concepts in the planned teaching process. In the teaching process, it is another question that conceptual-semantic gaps are formed by neglecting some meaning dimensions, and thus the concept is often compressed into one dimension. The definition of "misconception" that refers to the misunderstandings arising in the teaching of one-dimensional concepts such as "heat, light, volume, mass" in science teaching is also used in teaching social studies. However, most of the concepts included in the content of social studies consist of multi-dimensional concepts such as "democracy, change, respect, reality etc.". It is necessary to discuss whether different meanings that emerge in the teaching of these concepts are "misconceptions" or whether the concept is one of the different "meaning dimensions." In this descriptive study in which the document review was used as a data acquisition technique, it was attempted to explain these problems by especially examining the Life Science and Social Studies textbooks and the concept of "democracy." First, what kind of teaching trajectory the concept of "democracy" in the textbooks followed was revealed. Furthermore, it was also stated which meaning dimensions of the concept came to the fore and which dimensions were overlooked (semantic gaps). The findings of the study were discussed, and various suggestions were developed in this framework.

Keywords: