The evaluation of human right and citinzenship education practices at primary schools

The study was conducted in three stages. Firstly, teachers? opinions concerned with Human Rights and Citizenship Education Practices employed after 2004 according to teaching curriculum, basal textbooks, learning environments, out of course activities and teacher efficacy were taken. Secondly, Citizenship and Human Rights Course Teaching Curriculum?s specific objectives previous to 2004 were evaluated whether these specific objectives correspond to Human Rights and Citizenship Education in present practice. Thirdly, present Human Rights and Citizenship Education Practices? reflections on textbooks used at primary schools were evaluatedFor first stage, Likert scale with 5- intervals were developed to get teachers? opinions. The population of the present study was teachers in Kırıkkale. However, the research sample consisted of 520 teachers from different teaching profession in Kırıkkale.The data obtained from the inventory?s first and second parts was analyzed using SPSS analyses including mean, standard deviation, independent groups t-test, and one-way ANOVA. In addition to this, with Excel and Microsoft Office, figures, percentage, and frequency tables were formed. In third part of the inventory, investigation of textbooks, and comparisons of teaching curricula were made, and also with descriptive analyses, the data were presented obtained from this part were presented as percentage and frequency.In the second stage of the study, it was investigated comparisons of teaching curriculum?s specific objectives with Human Rights and Citizenship Education Practices. In the third stage of the study, it was investigated Human Rights and Citizenship Education Practices? reflections on basal textbooks through document analysis.The research findings showed that the teachers? opinions about curriculum and textbook dimensions were approximately similar in terms of positive and negative teachers? opinions. Whereas most of the teachers had positive opinions concerning learning environment and teacher efficacy, they had negative opinions relative to out of course activities.The teachers? opinions about curriculum dimension varied significantly according to gender, their type of teaching profession, school where is located. The teachers? opinions about textbook varied significantly according to their type of teaching profession and school where is located. The teachers? opinions about out of school activities varied significantly according to school where is located. The teachers? opinions about teacher efficacy dimension varied significantly according their type of teaching profession and participation in professional development. However, the teachers? opinions about learning environment did not vary significantly according to any variable employed in the present study.Whereas the present Human Rights and Citizenship Education?s objectives matched with 1998 Citizenship and Human Rights Teaching Curriculum?s objectives in six themes, National Security and National Power Factors themes? objectives did not match Human Rights and Citizenship Education?s objectives.Regarding reflections of Human Rights and Citizenship Education?s objectives on textbooks, in spite of fact that there is difference in authors of Human Rights and Citizenship Education?s objectives, this revision process did not reflect on textbooks.Regarding Human Rights and Citizenship Education?s objectives? reflections in textbooks after 2004, although there is awareness of authors of book relative to Human Rights and Citizenship Education?s objectives, this could not be reflected sufficiently in the books analyzed for the present research.Keywords: Human rights education, citizenship education, human rights and citizenship education inter-discipline domain, teacher opinions, and textbooks.