An analysis of the reading texts in the fifth-grade Turkish textbook in terms of readability and the framework of virtue-value-action

In this thesis study, the reading texts included in the Middle School and Imam Hatip Middle School Textbook Turkish Grade 5, Books 1 and 2, prepared within the scope of the Turkey Century Maarif Model Middle School Turkish Curriculum (2024), were examined in terms of readability and the Virtue-Value-Action Framework. The data set of the research consists of the Middle School and Imam Hatip Middle School Textbook Turkish Grade 5, Books 1 and 2, which were used during the 2024-2025 academic year. A case study, one of the qualitative research methods, was employed in this study. Data were obtained through document analysis and examined via descriptive analysis. During the analysis process, the data were evaluated by five (5) field experts. To determine inter-coder reliability, the formula Agreement / (Agreement + Disagreement) * 100 was applied, resulting in an agreement rate of 94% among the coders. According to the findings, based on the Çetinkaya- Uzun formula, the majority of the examined texts had a readability score at the "Educational Level" (8th-9th grade), while some texts fell under the "Disabled Level" (10th-12th grade) and "Independent Reading" (5th-7th grade) categories. According to the Ateşman formula, a significant portion of the texts was found to be at the "Easy" readability level, followed by those at the "Moderate Difficulty" level. This indicates that the texts in the textbook were largely prepared in accordance with the reading competencies of the target audience, namely 5th-grade students. Across all themes, the values of responsibility, respect, and love were most frequently addressed. Conversely, values such as privacy, cleanliness, and honesty were among the least represented, suggesting that some values were neglected in the textbook. Although there is diversity in values education, it can be argued that the distribution is not balanced and that certain values require more in-depth treatment.