The effect of history lessons in secondary school on students' reasoning: The case of Aksaray

In the survey it is attempted to determine the effect of history lessons on the students? reasoning at secondary school education, and the teacher and the textbook factors are argued out. The research is designed in the descriptive model. Qualitative data gathering techniques are used. In the survey, content analysis is used for textbook factor. The teachers are interviewed for necessary information. In order to provide the students reason about the historical materials, two kinds of forms are prepared, in which the results are asked giving the premises and the premises are asked giving the results. These forms are applied to students at the beginning and at the end of the academic year and the students? comments in these forms are analyzed. Upon this analysis, totally 262 form gathered from ninth grade students are applied this form and six history teachers are interviewed in Aksaray Anatolian Teacher Training High School, Aksaray Anatolian High School, and Aksaray Trade Vocational High School. In the survey, it is checked whether the features of students? reasoning related to historical materials are consistent with the ones given in the textbook and the points that teachers said they emphasized the features of reasoning or not. It is determined that the materials provided by the textbook and reasoning on this basis are at higher level than students? reasoning. Also the reasoning that teachers said they used/did not use are consistent with the students? reasoning. Concerning types of school, it is seen that the students of the schools that requires high points in entrance exam are able to reason better. Concerning gender, it is stated that girls are in a better condition compared to boys on reasoning and the willingness for reasoning in form that the premises are asked. Boys are better than girls on reasoning in form that the results are asked.