7 th-8 th grades citizenship and human rights courses teachers effectiveness and their problems in teaching: Erzincan sample

The aim of this study is to search out the problems and the qualities of the middle grades teachers who instruct Citizenship and Human Rights course in Turkey. The subject domain of the study was the Middle Grades teachers implementing the teaching of Citizenship and Human Rights Education course in the Fall and the Spring semesters of 2001-2002, in the center city of Erzincan and its towns. By using relevant literature relative to the issue, the questionnaire was developed by the researcher and implemented to these teachers. With the aim of testing its validity, the questionnaire which was developed by the researcher was also examined by some independent experts. The research findings can be staded as follows: 1. Teachers from different majors were implementing the teaching of the course. 2. The teachers stated that they were inadequate in using the course materials, implementing the curriculum, developing it as well as in outside activities that are needed for an active teaching of the course. 3. The teachers stated that they were unable to follow new developments in this field and thus the need for some continuous education programs were necessary. 4. The teachers said that the curriculum of the course and its content were not appropriate for the level of the students so that they were unable to fulfill the performance expectations of the course. We also found that the teachers had observed certain inconsistencies between the purposes and the aims of the course and the traditional structure of Turkish society as well as the attitudes of some other teachers. With the helps of background literature relative to the topic and the research findings of this study, we made some suggestions for an active teaching of Citizenship and Human Rights Education course in the Middle Grades.