Cultural heritage reflections in folk literature works included in Turkish language textbooks used in middle schools during the 2024-2025 academic year

This study examined the extent to which works of folk literature in Turkish-language textbooks used in middle schools during the 2024–2025 academic year reflect Turkish cultural heritage. The study population consists of textbooks distributed to schools by the Ministry of National Education. The textbooks were selected at random from those published by the Ministry of National Education and by various other publishers. The study employed the document analysis method and the "categorical analysis" technique from content analysis. Folk literature works were identified by reviewing textbooks, workbooks, and teachers' guides, and the following genres were evaluated: folktales, jokes, folk songs, hymns, epics, folk stories, and shadow plays. The texts were analyzed under eight headings. The findings indicate that the texts bear traces of Turkish culture. It was determined that in fairy tales and jokes, oral culture is maintained through repetition and rhythmic narration, and that values such as family relationships, neighborliness, hospitality, patience, and solidarity are conveyed. Yunus Emre hymns, the Ergenekon Epic, and the dialogues of Karagöz and Hacivat represent the cultural and historical heritage. However, genres of folk literature such as the mâni, lullabies, dirges, meddah storytelling, and the Orta Oyunu are absent from the textbooks, and deficiencies are observed in the number of texts and in genre diversity. Consequently, these texts contribute to the recognition of cultural heritage. Therefore, the variety of folk literature genres in textbooks should be expanded.