Uluslararası hoşgörünün geliştirilmesi için ülkeler arası karşılaştırmalı eğitim çalışmaları yapmak son derece mühimdir. Bu çalışmada söz konusu karşılaştırma için Mısır seçilmiştir. Mısır, Türkiye gibi Ortadoğu'nun mühim ülkelerinden biridir. Çalışmanın temel amacı Mısır Arap Cumhuriyeti'nde 2007-2008 senesinden itibaren geçerli olan sosyal bilgiler öğretim programı ile ülkemizde 2005 senesinden itibaren uygulamaya konulan 7. sınıf sosyal bilgiler ders programları arasındaki benzerlik ve farklılıkları tespit etmektir. Araştırma nitel araştırma modeline dayalı doküman analizi yöntemiyle gerçekleştirilmiştir. Amaçlı örnekleme yöntemi tercih edilmiştir. Mısır'da 2007-2008 öğretim senesinde uygulanan 2. kademe 1. sınıf sosyal bilgiler dersi öğretim programı ile bu seviyeye denk olan Türkiye'de 2007-2008 öğretim senesinde uygulanan 7. sınıf sosyal bilgiler ders programı araştırmanın örneklemini oluşturmuştur. Veriler doküman analizi tekniğine uygun olarak toplanmıştır. Sosyal bilgiler öğretim programları betimsel analize tabi tutulmuştur. Programların amaçları, vizyonları, içerikleri, yapıları, eğitim durumları, değerlendirme durumları incelenmiş, bu hususlardaki benzerlik ve farklılıklara karşılaştırmalı olarak yer verilmiştir. Araştırmada Türkiye'de amaçların, Mısır'dakinin aksine, 1. kademe ve 2. kademe için bütünleşik olduğu, Türkiye'de genel amaçlar içerisinde Mısır'da olduğu gibi teoloji, yöntem bilim ve ekolojiye yönelik ayrı ayrı amaçlar bulunmadığı, Türkiye'de amaçlarda sosyoloji, ekonomi ve disiplinler arası amaçlara Mısır'a göre daha fazla, Mısır'da ise tarih ve coğrafya disiplin ve alanlarına daha çok yer verildiği, Türkiye vizyonunda millî bir lidere atıf yapılırken, Mısır programında böyle bir atıf bulunmadığı, Türkiye'de program vizyonunda Mısır'daki gibi dinî bir vurgu bulunmadığı, Türkiye'de Mısır'dakinin aksine süreci ölçmeye yönelik çoklu ve alternatif değerlendirme yöntemleri uygulandığı sonuçlarına ulaşılmıştır

For the development of internatioanal tolerance, making comparative educational studies are so important. In this study Egypt is selected for comparison with Turkey. Egypt is one of the most important countries of Middle East, like Turkey. The main problem of this research is to identify the similarities and differencies between social studies curriculum that is applied in the Arap Republic of Egypt in the year of 2007-2008 and which is put in to practice in Turkey in the year of 2005. The qualitative research procedures followed in order to carry out this investigation, and also the document analysis techniques are applied based on the qualitative research models. Purposive Sampling was preferred. The sixth grades’ social studies curriculums that was applied in Egypt and Turkey in 2007-2008 were samples. Datas were collected in accordance with document analyse technique. Social studies curriculums were subjected to a descriptive analyse. Goals, visions, contents, structures, training situations and evaluation situations of curriculums were examined and stated similarities and differencies about them. According to research findings, the research results are obtained as follows: Aims of Turkeys’ curriculum is entegrated for primary and secondary stages in contrast to Egypts’ curriculum. There is no aim about teology, methodology and ecology in general aims in Turkey, respectively, as in Egypt. More places given in the aims of Turkeys’ associated with sociology, economy and interdiscipline than Egypt and more places are given in the aims of Egypts’ associated with history and geography. There is no religionic emphasis in Turkeys’ vision as in Egypt and tehere is no emphasis one of natioanal leader in Egypts’ as Turkey. Student-centered approaches are adopted in terms of educatioanl attainment in Turkey. It is understood that multiple and alternative evaluation methods are applied to measure process in Turkey Egypt which was chosen as the subject for this research is one of the central countries of Middle East, just like Turkey. Turkey must understand the development dynamics in the Middle East in order to improve the atmosphere of peace and security in the region and to protect its own interests. Today, school books of Arab world are commonly trying to put on people's subconscious that the period of Ottoman dominance in the region is a dark and inefficient period. There are a lot of negative evaluations about Turks in school books. It is highly important to do comparative educational studies among countries with the aim of improving the international tolerance, determining such conditions scientifically and preventing them diplomatically. Together with this, comparative studies will also provide the extensive documents needed for providing sources for continuous curriculum-developing studies which are caused and necessitated by series of developments in the fields of science, technology and communication. The aim of this research is to comparatively analyse the curriculums followed in the social studies lessons in primary education 7th grade in Turkey and in Egypt-equivalent of this, 1st grade of the secondary stage in primary education in the school year of 2007-2008. In this analysis, the answers to following basic and sub-questions were sought: 1. The research questions related to the social studies curriculums in Egypt and Turkey: 1.1. How are the documents in which social studies curriculums are found? 1.2. What are the general objectives/purposes of social studies curriculums? 1.3. What are the visions of social studies curriculums? 1.4. What are the special objectives/purposes of social studies curriculums? 1.5. Which units and topics are found in the contents of social studies curriculums? 1.6. How is the arrangement of the contents of social studies curriculums? 1.7. How is the organization of social studies curriculums? 1.8. How are the educational statuses in social studies curriculums? 1.9. How are the evaluations made in social studies curriculums? 2. The research questions related to the differences and similarities of social studies curriculums in Egypt and Turkey: 2.1. What are the differences and similarities between the documents in which social studies curriculums are found? 2.2. What are the differences and similarities between general objectives/purposes of social studies curriculums? 2.3. What are the differences and similarities between the visions of social studies curriculums? 2.4. What are the differences and similarities between special objectives/purposes of social studies curriculums? 2.5. What are the differences and similarities between the disciplines which are found in the contents of social studies curriculums? 2.6. What are the differences and similarities in terms of the arrangement of the contents of social studies curriculums? 2.7. What are the differences and similarities in terms of the organizations of social studies curriculums? 2.8. What are the differences and similarities in terms of the educational statuses in social studies curriculums? 2.9. What are the differences and similarities in terms of the evaluation in social studies curriculums? Qualitative research procedures were followed throughout the research and document analysis method based on the qualitative research model was used. Document analysis involves the analysis of written materials which contain information related to the phenomenon or phenomena intended to be researched. There may be a single data collection method in qualitative researches. The reason why this method was preferred is that the document analysis is a method used in the collection, systematic analysis and evaluation of official or private records. In addition, it is that this method provides resources in data collection. Sampling Purposive sampling method was preferred to get an integrative picture and to obtain in-depth information. The social studies curriculum used in 1st grade of the 2nd stage of primary education in Egypt in the school year of 2007-2008 and the social studies curriculum used in 7th grade, which is the Turkey equivalent of 1st grade of the 2nd stage of primary education in Egypt, in the school year of 2007-2008 in Turkey form the sample of the research. Collection of the Data The data was collected in compliance with the document analysis method. While doing so, the following 5 stages in the relevant literature which are recommended were followed: 1-Accessing the document, 2- Checking the originality, 3-Understanding the document, 4-Analysing the data, 5-Using the data. Analysis of the Data Social studies curriculums were subjected to descriptive analysis. Purposes, the disciplines/fields in relation to the purposes and the vision were defined for the descriptive analysis of the curriculums. The curriculums were then subjected to content analysis. Curriculum organizations, the arrangements of the contents, learning-teaching processes and evaluation were determined for this. FINDINGS Findings on the Description of Egypt and Turkey Curriculums related to the 1st Research Question Findings on Egypt related to the 1.1st Research Question The curriculum of 2nd stage of primary education in the Arab Republic of Egypt (1st - 3rd grade) was printed in the Darü'l Kur'an (Quran World) Printing House by the Administration of Curriculums and Books, Department of General Education of the Egyptian Ministry of Education. General II. Rank Level is Technical Guides and Curriculums Distribution in the school year of 2007-2008 (Al-Tawgehat al-Fanneyya wa Tawze’ al-Makarrarat al-Deraseyya lel-Âm al-Derase 2007-2008 lel-Marhala al-E’dadeyya al-E’dade al-Âm). The book comprises of 2 volumes. It was prepared for the school year of 2007- 2008. It has a total of 389 pages. The 1st volume contains pages between 1 and 234 and the 2nd volume contains pages between 235 and 389.Findings on Egypt Related to the 1.2nd Research Question 7 disciplines or study fields which are related to the curriculum objectives were determined in the curriculum. Accordingly, 5 objectives (23.53%), 4 objectives (23.53%), 2 objectives (11.77%), 2 objectives (11.77%), 3 objectives (17.64%), and 1 objective (5.88%) and 1 objective (5.88%) are related to history, citizenship/interdisciplinary, geography, sociology, unclassifiable fields, theology and methodologies respectively. Findings on Egypt Related to the 1.3rd Research Question The vision of the curriculum is to raise citizens who know their environment in terms of history, religion, culture, geography, politics, society and economy from micro to macro, who want their country to develop and work for this, who worship Allah, who respect human rights and who are aware that they are both Egyptians and Muslims. Findings on Egypt Related to the 1.4th Research Question The objectives found in the curriculum are related to the geographic, historical and philosophic disciplines. The objectives related to the geography rank first with 70%. History ranks 2nd with 20% and philosophy ranks 3rd. Findings on Egypt Related to the 1.5th Research Question The units found in the curriculum of the 1st grade are given below. 1st Unit: The Planet Earth 2nd Unit: Climate 3rd Unit: Physical Map of Egypt 4th Unit: Egyptian History in the Period of the Pharaohs 5th Unit: The Characteristics of the Ancient Egyptian Civilization 6th Unit: Population in Egypt 7th Unit: Economic Activities and Developmental Tools 8th Unit: The Characteristics of the Ancient Egyptian Civilization 9th Unit: History and Civilization of Egypt during the Ptolemaic and Roman Periods Findings on Egypt Related to the 1.6th Research Question The arrangement of the content in the historical topics in the curriculum is chronological. The subjects of history and geography are approached in a way not to repeat each other. In this way, the curriculum which comprises of topics which do not repeat each other and which are the preliminary conditions of one another is organized in compliance with the horizontal design (expanding environment) principles. Findings on Egypt Related to the 1.7th Research Question The units of history and geography are approached separately. This shows that the curriculum organization is made according to the multidisciplinary approach. Findings on Egypt related to the 1.8th Research Question Educational statuses are widely discussed in the Social Studies curriculum book. According to the curriculum, lessons are planned by taking 3 main stages into consideration. The first stage is the stage in which the teacher determines the objective of the lesson. The teacher takes the expectations of the curriculum for the students related to information and skills and cognitive objective-related expectations into consideration at the second stage. The last stage is the stage in which the method is determined. The curriculum specifies that the course book is a reliable assistant for the teachers and the students but that it is not like a holy book. Other accessible libraries, video cassettes, CDs and internet resources are recommended besides the course books A teacher must greet the class when he/she enters the classroom, prepare them for the lesson, begin the lesson by using the blackboard, choose the lesson material in compliance with the topic, use them at the right time and try them before using them. It was recommended that the teacher asks questions to the students related to the lesson, that the given answers be written on the blackboard, that the answers on the blackboard be modified at the end of the lesson and that the lesson be summarized. Findings on Egypt Related to the 1.9th Research Question It was stated in the curriculum that the information related to the grading system of social studies course for 1st and 2nd grades are based on the Ministerial Decree No. 99/466. In this evaluation, the significance of each scale is different within the total grade. Scales and percentage significance are as follows:  Written exams 50%  Behaviour 10%  Written studies and activity 10%  Effort 10%  Oral and applied exams 10%  Technology 10%. Assessments made for the course are made from a total of 60 points for each term. Accordingly, the assessment scale for the abovementioned written exams are made from a total of 30 points, and for the others; each from a total of 6 points. The courses are not semester-based, they are annual lessons. Minimum passing grade for the course is 24 in the 1st and 2nd grades. In other words, the students pass the course when the total of their success grades for both semesters is at least 24. However, a student does not automatically pass the course when he/she scores 24 points in the 1st semester. The students need to also score 6 points in the 2nd semester. On the other hand, the points given to the annual practices in 3rd grades were removed. Therefore, semestrial success grade became 30 points. In order to be successful, a student needs to score 7.5 points in the 2nd semester even if he/she scored 30 points in the 1st semester. Findings on the Description of Egypt and Turkey Curriculums Related to the 1st Research Question Findings on Turkey related to the 1.1st Research Question The curriculum was published on http://ttkb.meb.gov.tr/ - the official web site of the Ministry - in MS Office Word document format and it is presented as the curriculum for both the 6th and 7th grades. The purposes of the curriculum are prepared for both the 6th and 7th grades. The disciplinary or interdisciplinary fields in relation to the purposes are as follows: Geography, history, citizenship, sociology, culture, law, economy, psychology and philosophy. According to Table 3, citizenship/interdisciplinary field is the most purpose-related field with 6 subjects (27.27%) out of 8 subjects. In addition, there are interdisciplinary fields which cannot be associated with any category. 3 objectives (13.64%) were associated with this subject. This is quite suitable to the spirit of social studies. Sociology, economy, history, geography, philosophy and psychology were determined for 4 times (18.18%), 3 times (13.64%), 2 times (9.1%) and the rest for 1 time (4.54%), respectively. Findings on Turkey Related to the 1.3rd Research Question The vision of the curriculum is defined in the curriculum as follows: The vision is to raise modern citizens of Republic of Turkey who embrace Atatürk's principles and reforms, who understand the Turkish history and culture, who are equipped with basic democratic values and who respect human rights, who are sensitive to the environment they live in, who interpret the information in line with their experiences and who form, use and organize it within the social and cultural context (who have critical thinking and who decide creatively and correctly), who have advanced social participation skills, who adopt the methods used by the social scientists while producing information, who are active and productive in social life and who are aware of their rights and responsibilities (MoNE, 2007). Findings on Turkey related to the 1.4th Research Question There are no special objectives in the social studies curriculum for 7th grade in Turkey. Findings on Turkey related to the 1.5th Research Question In this section, key topics which are found in the relevant units in the course book specified in the sampling chapter and the unit names found in the curriculum are given: 1st Unit: Communication and Human Relations 2nd Unit: Population in our country 3rd Unit: Journey in the Turkish History 4th Unit: Science in Time 5th Unit: Economy and Social Life 6th Unit: Living Democracy 7th Unit: Bridges among Countries Findings on Turkey Related to the 1.6th Research Question Social studies courses take place in curriculums beginning from the 4th grade. Learning subjects (topics) are the same from the 4th grade to the 7th grade. The subjects taught in the 6th grade expand and continue in the 7th grade in the framework of the same curriculum. The arrangement of the content in this way shows that the expanding environment (horizontal design) principle is dominant in the curriculum. Findings on Turkey Related to the 1.7th Research Question The units are not divided into specific disciplines/fields such as history, geography and citizenship in the curriculum. Anthropology, law, philosophy, psychology, sociology and economy disciplines are interwoven in the units. Therefore, the contents have an interdisciplinary structure. Findings on Turkey Related to the 1.8th Research Question It is stated in the curriculum that the narration method in teaching needs to be used less. In-class situation needs to change from teacher-centred to student-centred. How the constructivism approach defined in the basic approach and found in the vision of the curriculum will be applied in the teaching process and what the teacher will pay attention are discussed within this context. Findings on Turkey Related to the 1.9th Research Question The curriculum recommends teachers to use several methods together in assessing the success of the students. The co-occurrence of the process and the result in the assessment is emphasized. As the curriculum asserts that it adopts student-centred teaching and learning strategies which take individual differences into account, it emphasizes the necessity of multiple-evaluation in the assessment and evaluation in order for the students to display their knowledge, skills and behaviours. 2. Findings on the Similarities and Differences between Curriculums related to the Research Question Findings Related to the 2.1st Research Question While the Egyptian curriculum subject to the study is printed, the Turkish curriculum is not. It is possible to access this curriculum digitally on the web site of the Ministry of National Education. Not only it is impossible to access the Egyptian curriculum on the internet, but also the researcher could find this curriculum neither in the hands of the academicians in the Department of Teaching Methods and Curriculum Development of the university he/she went to as an auditor nor in the university library. As a result, the curriculum book is not accessible. The Egyptian curriculum is found as a chapter in a book in which curriculums of all courses are given together. In Turkey, on the other hand, the curriculums are prepared separately. In the Egyptian curriculum, there is no table of contents, but in the Turkish curriculum there is a table of contents. While the Egyptian curriculum is offered together for the 4th and 6th grades of the stage I and for the 1st and 3rd grades of the stage II, it is offered together for the 4th and 5th grades of the stage I and for the 6th and 7th grades of the stage II in Turkey. While there are different general objectives for stages I and II in the Egyptian curriculum, the general objectives are the same in Turkey. While the acquisitions in each unit for each grade are specified in Turkey, the objectives are not specified in the Egyptian one. The objectives are given in the introduction part of each unit in the course book. While the Atatürk’s subjects which are the acquisitions are given in the Turkish curriculum, there is no similar concept for a similar leader in Egypt. There is a preface in both curriculums. While the Turkish curriculum contains a separate chapter for museums and education, and using newspaper clippings, there is no such thing in the Egyptian curriculum. Turkish curriculum introduces the teaching methods, while the Egyptian curriculum does not have a similar introduction. Findings Related to the 2.2nd Research Question While there are different general objectives for stages I and II in the Egyptian curriculum, the general objectives are the same in Turkey. The fields of citizenship, sociology, history, geography and interdisciplinary fields are given in both states' curriculums. The placement of the general objectives in both states' curriculums is different. Common general objectives for 1st and 2nd stages are specified in the Turkish curriculum. But in the Egyptian curriculum, different objectives are given for each stage. Findings related to the 2.3rd Research Question In the Egyptian curriculum, there is no vision section, but there is a vision section in the Turkish curriculum. Findings Related to the 2.4th Research Question While different special objectives are given in the Egyptian curriculum for each grade, there are no special objectives for each grade in the Turkish curriculum. Findings Related to the 2.5th Research Question While a multidisciplinary organization is dominant in the Egyptian curriculum, there is no such differentiation in the Turkish curriculum and an interdisciplinary organization is made in it. Findings Related to the 2.6th Research Question Horizontal design (expanding environment) curriculum approach is used in the arrangement of the contents in both states' curriculums. Findings related to the 2.7th Research Question While the curriculum is organized in line with the interdisciplinary approach in Turkey, it is organized in line with the multidisciplinary approach in Egypt. Findings Related to the 2.8th Research Question While the Egyptian curriculum defines the teacher-centred teaching process more, the Turkish curriculum clearly states that they prefer student-centred classes. Findings related to the 2.9th Research Question While there are many alternative assessment tools in Turkey, there are no alternative assessment methods in Egypt. Conclusion and Suggestions The fact that the Turkish objectives are, on the contrary to the Egyptian objectives, integrated for 1st and 2nd stages show the integrity and continuity of the curriculum. This shows that the selected purposes are wished to be stated as general and special purposes. In the Turkish curriculum, there are no separate objectives for theology, methodology and ecology under the general objectives unlike the Egyptian curriculum. However, the fact that topics related to these 3 subjects are taught in the content shows that there is a lack of harmony between the course book and the curriculum. The fact that the Turkish curriculum contains sociologic, economic and interdisciplinary purposes in objectives more often than the Egyptian curriculum shows that the Turkish curriculum is stronger than the Egyptian curriculum in terms of richness, extensiveness and sufficiency. The fact that disciplines and fields of history and geography are found more often in the Egyptian curriculum can be explained with the fact that these curriculums are in the multidisciplinary organization. While there are references to a national leader in the Turkish vision, there are no such references in the Egyptian vision. This can be explained with the fact that the presidents ruling the state after Cemal Abdulnasır who is the founder of the national state of Egypt have had the similar ruling and influence power and that a similar situation was not experienced in Turkey. The fact that there is no religious emphasis in the Turkish vision indicates the secular character of the State of Turkey. The adoption of the student-centred approach in terms of teaching situation can be explained with the increased effectiveness of the people ruled and the prominence of liberal understanding in the social life. This is important in that it indicates that the "ruling" understanding was replaced by a "management" understanding" and that the powers of the rulers are more often shared with the ruled people. The employment of multiple alternative assessment methods in Turkey for assessing the process in contrast to Egypt is favourable in terms of ensuring the permanence of learning and education. Studies on the social studies curriculums are getting more and more important in Egypt. The social studies curriculums in Egypt used after 2010 need to be re-analysed as "before Mubarak" and "after Mubarak". Thus, it would be possible to have information related to the new organizations in the country. The same rule applies for Turkey, too. Whether the changes especially those which occurred in Turkey after 2010 are reflected or how they are reflected in curriculums need to be studied.