TEACHING WORLD WAR I IN TURKISH SECONDARY SCHOOL TEXTBOOKS

War is commonplace in human history. In fact, wars have become a part of the cycle of social life. Undoubtedly, 20th Century world wars with their effects that were long lasting and felt in a wider geographical area occupy a prominent place in history. In its 100th anniversary, World War I, which took place between 1914 and 1918, has regained popularity among researchers, along with the educators who explore how the subject is taught and better ways to teach it. The aim of this study was to look into how such a global war after a century is taught in Turkey. More specifically, secondary social studies and history textbooks were the topic of our interest. In accordance with this purpose, research literature focusing on teaching about wars was reviewed first. Then, social studies and history textbooks used in the compulsory secondary education system were analyzed in order to reveal how socio-economic, civic, and global dimensions of the war were presented in texts, illustrations, and teaching activities given under the topic of World War I. This was followed by an examination of how the ways the war were narrated in textbooks, and also whether these ways of narration supported development of basic concepts and skills included in the current history and social studies curricula. Findings showed the presence of significant issues in teaching World War I in Turkish textbooks