Abstract:

Due to the civil unrest in Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria, there have been migrations to Turkey and the responsibility of the Social Studies course and teachers for socialization and cultural integration has increased with the inclusion of many foreign children in the education process. It is believed that graduating prospective teachers in a competent and adaptable manner will contribute positively to the resolution of social problems caused by migration through Social Studies courses. Pre-service teachers who will work in culturally diverse classrooms are expected to develop a deep understanding of different cultures and possess the necessary skills to effectively teach their students. The aim of this study is to investigate the adequacy of undergraduate Social Studies Teacher Education programs in Turkey in relation to the themes of migration and cultural diversity, and to compare the changes made to these programs over the years. To achieve this, the document analysis method was used to examine the 1998, 2006, and 2018 Social Studies Teacher Education Programs prepared by the Council of Higher Education for Faculties of Education. The obtained data were analyzed using descriptive analysis techniques. The analysis revealed that the 1998 and 2006 programs had limited course content related to migration and cultural diversity, whereas the 2018 program included new topics such as inclusiveness, global citizenship, multiculturalism, multilingualism and pluralism on this theme. However, the changes made in the 2018 program were not sufficient to address the needs of a culturally diverse classroom. It was concluded that the number of applied course hours in the programs was not sufficient and the number of codes in the knowledge and awareness category was higher than the skills and values. It is recommended that the program should be designed in such a way as to provide opportunities for pre-service teachers to experience cultural diversity

Keywords: