Türkiye ve İtalya'daki ilkokul 3. ve 4. sınıf İngilizce ders kitaplarının karşılaştırmalı bir analizi

This thesis presents a comparative analysis of primary school 3rd and 4th grade English Language Teaching (ELT) coursebooks in Türkiye and Italy. The study investigates key aspects such as organizational structure, content diversity, cultural integration, pedagogical approaches, and the overall quality of educational materials. The study compares Türkiye's standardized ELT coursebook approved by the Ministry of National Education (MoNE) for 3rd and 4th grade, namely "İngilizce 3 Ders Kitabı" and "Learn with Bouncy Student's Book 4," with a set of widely used ELT coursebooks in primary schools in Rome, Italy, including "Hello World 3" and "Circle Time 4."Methodologically, a descriptive content analysis using a textbook evaluation checklist by Miekley (2005) was employed to systematically assess the selected coursebooks. Specifically, for 3rd grade coursebooks, Türkiye employs a structured approach with thematic units featuring activities, games, and self-check sections, albeit with limited cultural depth compared to Italy. Coursebooks in Italy offer richer cultural contexts and authentic materials, fostering critical thinking through real-life tasks and varied literary genres. Both educational systems emphasize vocabulary and grammar acquisition through contextualized learning and interactive activities yet differ in their approach to grammar instruction and cultural representation. For 4th grade coursebooks, both countries present logically structured content with extensive visual aids, integrating grammar and vocabulary in thematic contexts. Türkiye focuses on functional language use without explicit grammar rules, while Italy provides explicit grammar explanations in mother tongue aimed at autonomous learning. Cultural elements, predominantly British in focus, vary in depth and integration across the coursebooks. The study contributes insights into curriculum development, pedagogical practices, and policy decisions in ELT, highlighting strengths and areas for improvement in both educational contexts.