Examining 7th grade students' perceptions of the values of equality, love and respect in the context of social studies course

Social Studies course is a primary and secondary school course whose main purpose is to raise individuals as active citizens. Therefore, there are various values that are aimed to be imparted to the students. In this research, the perceptions of 7th grade Social Studies course students about the values of equality, love, and respect were examined, and it was also aimed to understand how students' perceptions of the values of equality, love, and respect were shaped in the context of the Active Citizenship and Global Connections learning areas of the Social Studies course. The phenomenological design, one of the qualitative research methods, was used in the research. The data of the research were gathered by employing semi-structured interviews, observations of social studies lessons, participants' diaries and the researcher's diary. The data were analyzed by using the inductive analysis method using the NVivo 14 package program. As a result of the research, it was concluded that students attributed positive meanings to the values of equality, love, and respect, but they believed that these values were missing both at school, in their families and in society. One of the findings of the research is that female students stated that they experienced inequality in society due to their gender, while male students state that they experience equality. Most of the participants believe that the values of equality, love, and respect have diminished in society they live in. It was found that in the teaching process of Active Citizenship and Global Connections learning areas, the values of equality and respect were frequently mentioned, respectively, but the value of love was excluded in the teaching process. It was found that students' awareness of the values of equality, love, and respect improved after these learning areas were taught in the Social Studies course. Keywords: Social Studies, Equality, Love, Respect, Values Education, Active Citizenship, Global Connections, Phenomenology